Into the Storm
by jmoul18
Summary: It's been 10 years since Wes stopped Cipher in the first Shadow Pokemon Crisis of Orre. Those years have been rough, but the region has begun to rebuild...as has Cipher. Now, Michael and his childhood friend, Liz, must fight through a living Hell to save his home, his family, and all else he holds dear. A continuation of Brendan's Journey. Cover Image by Dragolisco on DeviantArt.
1. Chapter 1 - The Storm Begins

**Hello everybody. I am back from my hiatus with my new story:** _ **Into the Storm**_ **. This is a Pokémon XD novelization, and a sort of continuation of** _ **Brendan's Journey.**_

 **Just as a preface, after much consideration, I have decided to hold off on posting the collaboration I've been working on with BraviaryScout. That chapter is going to be a sort of bridge between** _ **Brendan's Journey**_ **, and** _ **Into the Storm**_ **, but it would contain spoilers for Brav's story, A Hui Hau Kakou, so we agreed to post the collaboration chapter at the same time.**

 **Legal Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, and I am not making any money off of this, or any of my stories. Please don't sue me. I'm a college student with no money.**

* * *

 _The Storm Begins_

Around on almost the other side of the world, a massive cargo ship with a Pokéball along the side was moving quickly, making good time between Hoenn and Orre. The ship was carrying Pokémon as cargo to the Orre region to help trainers there start their journeys, and in one of the bigger cargo holds, which was furnished like a hotel room, there was a particularly lively little Ralts, brushing her hair as she thought about the friends she'd made on this boat.

One was a happy Houndour, named Erebus, who was likely still a puppy based on his love of playing fetch and getting his belly rubbed by any who happened to be passing by. Another was a Teddiursa named Artemis, who seemed to have a bad habit of stealing pots of honey from the kitchen. The little bear cub had been caught a few times, so now the sailors intentionally left out extra jars for her to enjoy. One of her new best friends was a Spheal, named Boreas, who would play catch with others using his own Ice Ball on occasion. There was a Shroomish, named Ceres, that she had taken a slight liking to, but the mushroom Pokémon initially seemed to be a little too aloof to make friends with others. In total, there were 63 Pokémon on the ship, but Alicia seemed to be getting pampered more than the others. It was probably the work of her mother, which she appreciated, but she also kind of wished that she could find her own trainer. Recently, Alicia had begun to realize that she didn't want to be known only as Gwen's daughter, which is part of the reason why she left Hoenn. Even though Orre had no league, she could start anew there, and make her own reputation with less of her mother's influence.

"Miss Alicia," one of the sailors, with whom Alicia had become friends as well, asked as he approached the room where she was staying for the trip. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

Alicia paused mid-stroke as she was brushing her hair to make it look as smooth as her mother's did. _I'm fine for now, but I might need some dinner in an hour or two,_ she said sweetly, trying to follow Gwen's example of being proper, something that had changed for the Gardevoir since she became a mother.

"Anything specific that you'd like?" the man, whose nametag said _LCDR Stan_

 _You know I'm not picky…but some pasta, with garlic bread, and a salad would be great,_ Alicia said kindly.

"I'll have that sent up in about an hour. And, just something I wanted to let you know, we should be arriving in Gateon Port in four hours," the Lt. Commander said. "Captain Adam wanted me to let you know."

 _That sounds good. I'll have time to eat and relax before meeting my future trainer,_ Alicia said. _Thank you for letting me know,_ she said with a kind smile as the sailor slightly bowed her head and went on his way. One thing, however, that Alicia didn't want to mention to Stan, was a foreboding sense of danger in the near future. After all, she hadn't been too accurate with any premonitions in the past, why would this one be any different?

* * *

It seemed to be a quiet night for the crew of the _S.S. Libra_ as they approached Gateon Port in the Orre Region. The massive cargo ship was well known in their destination, a desolate region that, as of yet, didn't have any wild Pokémon. So, for the past twenty years, the other regions of the world had been sending Pokémon via the S.S. Libra in order to aid the development of trainers in that region. Captain Adam was proud to have continued his sailing career after retiring from the military life, the boat was under his command. He was strict when needed, but the crew generally respected the man for his experience and his pristine track record. As of yet, the famous Pokémon transport had never been late by more than a few hours, and those times were only due to unforeseen storms hitting while they were on the open ocean.

This trip, and for most of the trips recently, the Pokémon had been donated from the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions, with the Hoenn region even sending a kindhearted Ralts who was the daughter of the famed Gwen, the Gardevoir with the ability of telepathic speech, who was the ace Pokémon of Brendan Maple, the Hoenn League's champion. Arceus knows how powerful that Ralts would become, and alongside the lucky trainer who adopted that Ralts.

"Stan, how's our schedule holding up?" Captain Adam asked his helmsman, and Lt. Commander of this crew. The man in a typical naval uniform turned slightly. "Seems we may be only a few hours off, but the chop coming from that storm to port is definitely not helping us right now."

Adam nodded. It was expected recently. For the past two years, the waters approaching Gateon Port had increasingly common storms becoming more dangerous, and the chop had been steadily getting worse as well. "Alright, just keep us on course. We are carrying precious cargo, after all," he said.

"Yeah…I kind of wish I could make Alicia my own Pokémon," Stan said, seeming to get off topic. "But…she's bound for better than what a sailor can provide."

"You have a good friendship with her," Captain Adam said. "I wouldn't try to stop you as long as she agreed…but I get the feeling she's looking for a trainer who could become as strong as her mother's."

As the captain said that, they both heard the sound of a fleet of helicopters quickly approaching from the port side, ending their conversation. "Captain, what's going on?" Stan asked, sounding worried. "This doesn't look like a welcoming party.

Three vehicles that looked like a combination of a motorcycle and a helicopter flew into view over the ship as the corporal asked that question. Captain Adam, however, quickly went right outside the main cabin, thoroughly concerned now. "Stan, how fast is she going?"

"Pushing 20 knots. We can't go any faster without blowing out the engines," the lieutenant commander shouted from inside. That was when a massive shadow came overhead, and the shape made Captain Adam, a sailor who had seen war, and was incredibly experienced with Pokémon of the sea, go pale with horror. "Captain," Stan said as he set the ship to autopilot to maintain their speed. He stepped beside his commanding officer to get a better view of what was over them. "What is that?"

The Captain couldn't speak. What he saw undoubtedly had the body of the legendary Pokémon, Lugia, but there was something wrong with this one. The creature's body was such a deep shade of purple it almost looked black, with two exceptions: its stark white belly, and the tufts of feathers around its eyes. But the eyes were the most frightening feature of what should be a majestic, calming creature, and they glowed red with rage, brighter than a flame. However, further in its expression, Captain Adam thought he saw an almost pleading, sad look. It looked like the creature was in agony, and it was now lashing out.

That expression faded as one of the chopper pilots angled an eye-piece at the Lugia's eye, and a similar red glow made its expression go blank before a beam of energy shot from its mouth, hitting the boat, but it didn't do any damage. Instead, the ship seemed to lurch in the water.

"Stan, abandon ship. Have the crew grab as many Pokémon as possible and–" the Captain stopped speaking as he saw the entire rest of the crew leaping overboard. "YOU COWARDS! We can't let the Pokémon be taken!" he shouted at the crew, his tone showing both his fear and anger. That was when the boat lurched and began to rise out of the water. Lt. Commander Stan lost his balance, collided with Captain Adam, and they both fell overboard.

They surfaced just as the Libra came out of the water entirely, and the team of choppers had Lugia carry the ship inland, heading southeast. "Captain, what just happened?"

"I don't know, but I think the Orre Region is in trouble again."

* * *

Inside her room, Alicia had fallen hard from the sudden stopping, feeling her stomach turn as fear wracked her mind. _What's happening? What is this darkness?_ she asked herself as she felt some of the most malevolent auras she'd ever felt. Then, a blinding light flashed outside her window, followed by the ship lurching, and starting to lift like an elevator. Alicia floated to the window, wanting to see what was going on, only to see two human-shaped shadows fall to the water. The minds she felt pass were Lt. Commander Stan, and Captain Adam. She also sensed the minds of all the other sailors on the ship in the water below. However, she also sensed that they were receding into the distance.

Over the ship, however, Alicia could also sense multiple people, all of whom seemed to be filled with a massive lust for power. More terrifying to the young Ralts was the one presence that overshadowed all others. It felt not only powerful, but also ancient, highly intelligent, and it was easily the most malevolent being she'd ever sensed.

 _Mom…help!_ Alicia called out telepathically. It was a desperate, but ultimately pointless attempt. Gwen was too far away to hear Alicia's terrified pleas for help. The overwhelming fear she now felt, however, caused the Ralts to emotionally break for the first time in her life, tears of fear streaming from her cheeks. _Someone…anyone…please…help,_ she begged between sobs.

* * *

Three hours later, Alicia woke up, not really sure when she fell asleep. She looked out the window, seeing the sun rising slowly over an ocean of sand below. _A desert? How far have we gone?_

She didn't have time to learn the answer, as she heard a loud cry, almost sounding pained just before she felt the ship start to drop fast. She started screaming as everything in the room began to float in the freefall. The fall only lasted ten seconds, but to Alicia it was an eternity. With a massive crash, she and all the furniture in the room slammed against the floor. Most of the wood was broken on impact, but that was drowned out by the indescribably haunting sound of bending and breaking metal. _Owwww,_ she said as her vision blurred and started to go black. _I never should have left home._ Her lamentations ended as she passed out.

Alicia was unsure how long she had been knocked out, but when she did regain consciousness, she saw that she was in a filthy, and dimly lit prison cell. She was on a cot that felt like it was made of jagged rocks, and there was a rusted spigot dripping brown water. "So, she's awake," came a gruff voice from outside the cell door, but it sounded like it was coming from a speaker. Alicia looked around the cell, only to see a blinking red light in the corner, along with the camera to which it belonged.

 _Who are you?_ She asked.

"I'm guessing you're trying to speak right now, but it doesn't matter. You are no longer a Pokémon. You're nothing but property now. You are going to become a mindless soldier in our army, and you will know nothing but pain and fear for the rest of your miserable life," the voice said. "Welcome to Hell."

Normally, such bravado wouldn't have worried Alicia. This time, however, with everything that had happened to her since the ship was abducted, she knew that she was in real danger. She hadn't even heard of the Shadow Pokémon crisis from almost ten years ago, yet she was still horrified of what she would face…and, to make things much worse, she was alone.


	2. Chapter 2 - New Places, New Faces

_New Places, New Faces_

 _Orre Region_

"Alright Michael, this will be the last battle of the day," said Losten, the trainer in the blue lab coat across from him.

A nod was all that came from the eighteen-year-old across the stadium from the other trainer. The eyepiece over his green eyes activated, giving him a personal HUD suited for battle, and making him look like he was wearing futuristic sunglasses. The display showed that both trainers only had one Pokémon each. He took the Pokéball in his hand, throwing it onto the field just as the other trainer did the same. On Michael's side of the field, he had a blue dragon with two small red crests on its head and red wings like an advanced jet. His opponent had a steel, four-legged mecha.

 _So, a Metagross against a Salamence._ On the HUD, each Pokémon had a tab with their health bar and relative strength level. The technology had been developed less than two years ago through a collaborative effort by both Wattson of Hoenn and Clemont of Kalos. The purpose of the collaboration was to create a functional numerical scale that was based on the battle experience of each Pokémon, ranging from 1 to 100, and give a fairly accurate estimate of a Pokémon's strength to the trainers. Theoretically, once a Pokémon reached level 100, they couldn't get stronger, but this theory was controversial among trainers, especially when there were Pokémon like Gwen, the Gardevoir trained by the Hoenn Champion, Brendan Maple. Regardless of the theory behind the device over his eye, this battle was all that mattered to Michael right now, and he could see that both Salamence and Metagross were at level 50.

 _What attacks does Salamence know?_ Michael thought. He looked at the "Attack" option on his HUD, scrolling through the list of attacks until one caught his eye. _Piece of cake._

"Salamence, use Earthquake!" Michael said. The Salamence slammed his foot down and sent a shockwave through the ground. The stones then erupted and broke underneath Metagross, hitting it in the center of its metaphorical jaw.

"Metagross, use Sludge Bomb!" the other trainer said. The mechanical Pokémon gathered a ball of sludge in front of it before firing it at Salamence. Michael saw that Metagross was below half his health-points, while Salamence had lost barely a quarter of his.

"One more Earthquake, let's end this!" Michael said. Salamence slammed his foot again, sending a new shockwave through the ground. The attack hit perfectly and dropped the health bar to zero. The Metagross groaned and fainted. Losten groaned at the same time, and he fell to his knees. He didn't say anything, though, as he and the arena froze and things started to break down into pixels.

"Great battling, Michael, let's call it quits for today," said Warren, the battle coach. Michael opened his eyes in the real world as the virtual reality battle scene was shut down.

"Thanks coach," Michael said as he turned off the new Pokémon Scouter and placed it on the nearby table. "How'd I do?"

"You were as good as Wes was ten years ago," Warren said, referring to the revered hero of Orre. "Seriously, why don't you train Pokémon other than your Eevee."

"I'm not sure. It just…never seemed necessary. It's not like there's a league to challenge in Orre," Michael said with a shrug, his yellow vest catching the light slightly, contrasting with the long-sleeved black shirt with a red stripe along his sleeves. He also had a blue sweatband on his head, but his long, messy red hair made its way under the band despite his efforts. Next to the visor were Michael's riding goggles, which he quickly put back around his neck. His sweatpants were a light fabric with a dark blue color, and red stripe, while his shoes more closely matched his shirt. He also had his own trainer's belt, with his Eevee's Pokéball and a small pouch on the right side.

"Fair enough," Warren said. "Anyway, Professor Krane wanted to see you about something, but he said it could wait until your training was finished."

"Oh, good. Did Uncle Richard say where he'd be?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, he's with your mother in their office," Warren said.

Michael nodded, and left the training simulation room, heading toward his mother's office across the hallway, entering the room to see his mother and uncle looking over a complex blueprint. As the door opened, Krane looked up. "Oh, Michael, you got my message. I even heard Warren singing your praises just minutes ago."

"Hey Uncle Richard, hey Mom," Michael said. "How is the Purify Chamber coming along?" Ever since Michael's father, Samuel Orison, had died six years ago, his uncle, Richard Krane, had stepped up as a sort of father figure for Michael, but more for Jovi, his little sister.

"It's going well. But we've reached a point where we're just waiting on a parts delivery to finish the building process," Krane said. "But there's another project I know we can only entrust to our best battler…you."

"Richard!" Lily said to her brother. "Please don't shower my kids with so much praise all the time. I don't want it to go to their heads and spoil them rotten."

"But I'm their uncle, it's part of my job," Dr. Krane said with a laugh.

"But…" Lily started to say.

"Come on, Mom, I'm eighteen. You know I'm not spoiled," Michael said.

Lily rolled her eyes at her son's claim. "I was mostly referring to Jovi," she said with a joking tone before looking a bit concerned. "And…now that I think about it, I haven't seen Jovi in a while."

"Oh…that's not good," Michael said, knowing his kid sister tended to wander off when unsupervised. Jovi most likely was fine, but there were researchers working on critically important parts of the Purify Chamber Project that needed to be completed. And she had a habit of bothering those researchers by asking them to play.

Lily gave an exasperated sigh. "I know we were just about to give you another job…but could you please go find Jovi for us?"

"Of course," Michael said. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Jovi was hiding around the lab for a game." He loved his little sister, and he was willing to do anything to protect the seven-year-old girl.

"Thank you so much," Lily said. "You have no idea how much this will help us, especially with the Purify Chamber in such a critical stage."

"By the way, Michael, your P-DA came back from the repair shop. It's on your desk."

"Oh, thanks Uncle Richard," Michael said as he went toward the other side of the building, which served as both the residency for the researchers, as well as the employee lounge areas. "I was going to check Jovi's room first anyway."

With a smile, Michael left the office, going through the office space of the lab's coders, headed by a man named Datan. However, just as he got around the corner, he was suddenly tackled by a living missile with whom he was all too familiar. "What the fuck, Liz?" he groaned as he smelled the perfume of his childhood friend. Elizabeth Hanz was the daughter of Dr. Hanz, one of the head engineers working on the chamber, filling and splitting the position with Dr. Krane after Samuel Orison was killed. She was only about two months older than him, but that difference didn't really seem to matter to either of them.

"I saw you coming, and I figured I'd say hi in my favorite way," Liz said with a giggle, her lightly curled, light brown hair and her well-endowed chest brushing against Michael as she moved to look him in the eye. "Besides, if I didn't do it, you'd think something was wrong."

Michael tried to stifle a laugh as he looked into the light blue eyes of his best friend. He couldn't find a way to deny what she'd said. Liz got up quickly, helping him to his feet as she giggled musically. With them both standing now Michael got the chance to see that she was wearing her favorite outfit, consisting of an indigo side-tie-top with khaki capris. "So, what are you up to?"

"Looking for Jovi. She's probably around the lab, but Mom's worried, since she hasn't been seen in a couple hours," Michael said with a slight smile as he started to brush himself off.

"Jovi? I think I saw her skipping in the halls near the residency a little over two hours ago…but with her, two hours is pretty much an eternity," Liz said, silently eying Michael's slightly athletic physique while he was looking around the area. The two had grown up and gone to school together. They had been the best of friends, but they had both also secretly developed crushes on each other. Those feelings only got stronger over time as they got closer and they became young adults, steadily maturing in their friendship as well. "But if she's been away for that long, she could be getting into trouble."

"Thank you so much," Michael said trying to force away his blush as he walked to the elevator. Liz, however, decided to follow him and help with the search. After all, she felt like she was a big sister to Jovi, so she wanted to make sure the seven-year-old girl was safe.

They both went toward the elevator and rode down quickly, getting to the ground floor, which served as the residency for the families who lived at the lab. There were three separate living quarters: one for the Orison family, one for Dr. Krane, and the last for the Hanz family. On the door to the bedrooms and private rooms, there was a door tag, reading "Residency." Michael smiled as the door opened to the private kitchen, and the four bedrooms for the family. His first instinct was to go to the door painted pink. It led to Jovi's room, the most likely place for her to be.

"It's been a while since I was in your sister's room," Liz said with a tone of amusement at the cute, pink decorations around the room. The two trainers then heard a chittering call they knew quite well. Liz smiled and giggled, getting a smile from Michael. "Well, hello there, PluPlu," she said as the Plusle scurried up her capris and onto her shoulder to nuzzle her sweetly. "Have you seen Jovi anywhere…or Mimi for that matter?"

PluPlu shook her head, looking a little unsure. "It's okay, we just wanted to find her soon. After all, it's getting late," Michael said.

PluPlu gave a few saddened chitters, but she cheered up as Liz scratched behind her ears. "Don't worry. We'll find them," she said with a giggle.

Michael branched off, heading to his room, since Jovi seemed to enjoy spending time there. He went inside the room with ruby-colored walls, posters of various champions from around the world. The two he idolized the most, however, were Brendan Maple of Hoenn with his Gardevoir, Gwen, Lucas Drake of Sinnoh, and Elio Northstar of Alola. Liz, however, seemed to favor May Maple, who many people considered to be among the greatest coordinators in history, followed closely by Dawn Avery Drake of Sinnoh. But, Liz herself knew she didn't want to become a coordinator, especially since Orre never had a Pokemon League or a Contest Circuit.

On his desk he saw his P-DA, which was the best kind of smartphone available in Orre. He also noticed that there were some telltale signs that Jovi had been in his room, with his bed slightly unmade and his t-shirt drawer open. Michael smiled and picked up the P-DA, seeing a message from Uncle Richard with a timestamp putting it around three minutes after he left Uncle Richard's office, meaning it came just as Liz tackled him. "Maybe they found her," he said before reading the message.

 _Michael, if you're reading this, that means your P-DA is working properly. I heard from one of the other employees that Jovi was seen playing hide and seek with Adon. Check with him to possibly get some guidance._

Michael smiled as he saw the message. "Liz, we got a lead. We need to find Adon," he called out.

"You mean the guy who used to play hide and seek with us when we were kids? He always picked the easiest spots," she said with a reminiscent tone. "I remember that his favorite spot for us was under a table in the employee lounge."

Michael led the way, as PluPlu went back to Jovi's bedroom and fell asleep again, getting to the elevator and holding the door for Liz, going up to the employee lounge, and going toward the employee kitchen, where they saw a man with an orange shirt and blue denim overalls. And, just as they had expected, the man was in his usual spot for hide and seek: on the lower portion of the table, face down. When Michael and Liz were kids, that spot had actually been rather difficult for them to find.

As they got closer, they could hear Adon softly snoring, making Liz giggle softly. Michael just gave Adon a soft nudge, making the man wake up. "H-huh?" Adon mumbled as he looked up at the pair. "Oh, hey, what's up you two?" He sounded groggy as he spoke.

"Nothing really, we're just looking for Jovi, and we were told that you'd seen her most recently," Liz said.

"Y-yeah…she asked me to play hide and seek with her…and that was an hour and a half ago," he said as he slowly got out of the spot and started to stretch. "Man, my back is stiff."

"Then she must have gotten distracted by something," Michael said, knowing what was usually going through the little girl's head.

"I think when we were getting ready to play, there were some researchers talking about that weird scientist nearby…Kaminko," Adon said.

"Oh, God, no," Michael said at the sound of the name. "That's a forty-five-minute walk…She must have left just as your game started."

Liz sighed, having very bad memories of the last time she'd been to Dr. Kaminko's lab, and how sick she got after trying on a cute pair of sandals his assistant had offered to her, which later turned out to be one of the doctor's inventions. "We need to get there right now. We can't let Jovi get tricked by that creepy assistant," she said with a shiver running up her back.

"Agreed," Michael said as they started to walk to the elevator. "We'll take Lucielle."

"Dude," Liz said with a look of disappointment. "You seriously gotta stop using that name for your scooter."

"Screw you, Liz, she's my ride," Michael said in joking tone as they went to the ground floor.

* * *

 **And there are the opening chapters of** _ **Into the Storm.**_ **I hope that you all enjoyed it, and I also hope that my hiatus wasn't too long for all of you.**

 **As with all of my stories, I welcome constructive criticism, so please let me know what you think of what I wrote.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	3. Chapter 3 - Casting Shadows

_The Mad Scientist_

Michael got his white moped out of the lab's garage putting on his own riding goggles, then tossing a pair to Liz. The brunette caught the eyewear and took her seat on the second seat of the scooter. Michael was sitting on the front, and Liz was wrapping her arms around his waist as he started the engine. Michael was starting to blush as he felt Liz's body on his as they drove off into the woods, trying his best to focus on the road and not the feeling of her breasts against his back.

 _Damn it, why did she have to turn out so hot?_ Michael lamented silently. _And I just know she sees me too much like a brother._

On the other side, Liz was blushing too, feeling Michael's toned body. It wasn't like a bodybuilder by any stretch of the imagination, but his athletic past with his basic workout routine had given him an attractive build as well. _Damn it, why did he have to turn out so perfect? And he probably has me in the friendzone_.

"Hey, did you see the news report from the ONBS today?" Liz asked.

"No, why?" Michael said.

"It seems the S.S. Libra went missing…and according to the captain, it might have even been abducted," Liz said. "I know that you went with your dad to get your Eevee four years ago…right before…"

"I know," he said, sounding a little saddened at the news. The ship served as one of his last memories with his father, and he considered his Eevee to be one of his last connections to his father.

"Will you be okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he said, going back to driving.

"So, Michael, what happens if Jovi isn't at Kaminko's lab?" Liz asked a few minutes later in a louder tone so he could hear her over the engine's humming.

"Then she's probably just back at home, and Mom will find her there soon enough," Michael said.

Liz nodded. "That makes sense. I just hope she's okay," she said.

"I hope that weird lab assistant isn't mistaking her for a burglar, or something like that…" Michael said as they wound along the dark, shaded forest road, going toward the dark storm clouds over the small Tudor-style building with two electric towers on the roof that looked like they had come from Tesla's lab. The two felt the charge in the air as they approached, feeling like the fifteen-minute drive went faster than usual. They got to the brick wall surrounding the compound littered with what looked like scrap metal from past experiments. In the center, there was a dried-up fountain with a Groudon statue made of metal. Michael drove up to the gate of the yard, letting Liz get off before turning off the engine and dismounting as well.

"I always hate coming here…" Michael said so Liz could hear him as they approached the main door. "I just hope we don't have any incidents like last time."

"Yeah, I know I'm not trying any awful inventions of his," she said as they walked up to the stoop.

"HALT!" said a man with a squeaky, high-pitched voice that cracked a little as he spoke. Michael and Liz just looked at each other knowingly, silently groaning. "Burglars, I said HALT!"

Both Michael and Liz turned to face the man who stood at less than five feet tall, with thick, rippling glasses that couldn't possibly help with vision problems. He had on a white lab coat with a bowtie on his collar. Both of them had looks showing that they were already annoyed by the man. "We aren't burglars, we're–"

"Chobin doesn't know you two, therefore, you must be burglars!" the man shouted, clearly trying his best to sound intimidating. "And Chobin is Dr. Kaminko's number one assistant, so Chobin's deductions are ALWAYS correct!"

"Chobin," Michael said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're Dr. Kaminko's _only_ assistant."

"Precisely! And that means that Chobin MUST be Dr. Kaminko's number one assistant," Chobin said with pride, his fat lips smiling as best he could. "Now, Chobin will defeat you both, and he will send you away!" Chobin then pulled out a Pokéball. "Send out your Pokémon now!"

Michael looks at Liz. "You can take this one. You know I'm not a big fan of battling," she said. "Plus, your Eevee likes to battle more than mine too."

"Alright," Michael said with a smile as he took out his own Pokéball. He smiled as he sent out the Pokémon. "Eevee, come on out!" The Pokémon that came out was a fluffy, adorable feline creature with ears like a rabbit.

Chobin smirked. "A weak Pokémon that Chobin will beat with the strongest Pokémon in existence!" the little man sent out a seed pod Pokémon that looked like a sunflower seed starting to sprout. It kept itself upright as it looked at Eevee. Michael then put on his eyepiece for the battle, and saw the levels of the Pokémon out on the field.

"So, your Sunkern is level five, compared to my level ten Eevee," Michael said. "Look, Chobin, I don't want to hurt your Pokémon. We're here to-."

"SILENCE! Battle Chobin now!" Chobin said. "Chobin wants Sunkern to use Absorb!"

"Eevee, dodge and use Sand Attack," Michael said. Eevee nodded to his trainer as the Sunkern sent out a single tendril of green energy directly at Eevee. Eevee leapt to the side, rolling out of the way as the energy hit the stone walkway where he had just been standing. Eevee then spun around and used his tail to throw a cloud of dust and sand at the Sunkern. The sand hit Sunkern directly in the face, getting into the eyes of the small Pokémon, making it blink fast to clear its vision. "Now, use Bite!" Eevee leapt forward, doing an acrobatic flip before biting down on the little seedpod. He shook his head hard like a Growlithe would to play with a toy. Eevee tossed the Sunkern to the ground, and Michael saw that the health gauge of the little grass-type had hit zero. "And that's the battle."

Chobin's expression was one of shock as he fell to his knees, losing his glasses. "Chobin lost? No, Chobin can never lose!"

"You just did," Liz said as Michael's Eevee ran to his trainer, climbing onto his shoulders and nuzzling the red-haired trainer cutely. Michael just giggled and started petting and scratching behind the little Pokémon's ears.

"You were perfect out there, buddy," he said with a smile, getting cooing mew from his friend.

"And that's adorable," Liz said, pulling out her phone and taking a picture. "And it's going on Festival Plaza."

Michael chuckled. "Go ahead. Who knows, maybe it'll go viral."

Liz laughed as she finished the post. "Yeah, like something from Orre could actually go viral. Face it, Wes is the most famous anyone or anything from Orre is gonna be."

Their conversation was cut short as Chobin started talking again. "Hmmm…Chobin has a new deduction," he said. "He has realized that the visitors are too young, and therefore cannot be burglars."

Michael just decided to let Chobin's problematic deductions go untouched. "Yeah, we're not burglars. We're from the Pokémon HQ Lab, and we're only here because we think my sister might be here."

As he finished speaking, the door to the lab opened, and Michael gave an internal sigh of relief as Jovi came into view, her hair was a strange shade of platinum blonde that almost made it look blue. She was wearing her favorite outfit, consisting of a simple white dress with blue leggings and boots. He blue eyes were more like Samuel Orison, their father. This was contrasted with Michael's green eyes, which he got from their mother. "Big brother, Liz, hi!" the little girl said.

"Jovi, there you are!" Michael said as he hugged his baby sister. "Why did you come here without telling us?"

"Jovi was curious," she said, making Michael go wide-eyed, then glare at Chobin. "She wanted to see this funny place!"

 _Great, now she's picked up this weirdo's habit of talking in the third-person,_ he thought.

"Jovi," Liz said kindly as she knelt beside them. "You had everybody at the lab worried."

"But Jovi had Mimi with her," the little girl said innocently, referring to her Minun. "She was safe the whole time." She then looked at Michael and Liz with some confusion. "Jovi's not sure what her brother and Lizzie are doing here. Did you guys get lost?"

Michael sighed and let her out of the hug, with Liz smiling too. "Yes Jovi, we got lost. Could you please help us get back home?"

"Jovi would be happy to," she said with an adorable smile. "She just needs to get Mimi first. He's with Dr. Kaminko." As she said that, she quickly ran inside.

Chobin then started talking. "Chobin has now deduced that the little girl is your little sister. He has decided to let both of them go inside to see the wonderful inventions of Dr. Kaminko!" The lab assistant then walked inside the building, not noticing Liz going a little pale.

"Why didn't I bring my pepper spray?" Liz said quietly as she led the way inside, wanting to get out of this creepy building as soon as possible. Michael followed, keeping Eevee on his shoulder as they went inside.

They immediately saw a projector screen in the foyer, but it was hooked up to a VCR. "Oh, Chobin is happy to show you his collection of invention profile videos!"

Liz tried to sound polite in her refusal. "N-no, th-that's really not–"

"And here they are!" Chobin said as the first video tape started playing. Michael and Liz both jumped, with her almost yelping as the screen lit up with a giant image of Chobin's face almost pressed up against the lens of the camera.

The audio then picked up. "Let Chobin show you the genius of Dr. Kaminko, the most brilliant doctor in all of Orre. His inventions are the best, because nobody else would think to make them. For example, the Unhealthy Sandals!" Liz shuddered at the memories of the intense fever and vomiting she'd experienced after trying on those sandals. "With nubs and material that presses none of your pressure points, these sandals are guaranteed to lead to chronic illness the longer they are worn. Chobin thinks these are superlative!"

With that, the short clip ended. "Chobin can tell that you have been enthralled by the brilliance of Dr. Kaminko. Chobin also has multiple other tapes for you to review if you would like," Chobin said.

Michael looked at his watch. "Oh, sorry, we'd _really_ love to. But we're late for dinner, and my Mom is making her best dish. So, we'll just go get my sister, and we'll be heading home."

"Oh…Chobin wishes you the best, and he hopes you come back some day," Chobin said. Michael heard Jovi's voice coming from behind the door to the left, so he went to it, seeing an odd sight indeed. There were three figures, one was Jovi, and the other two were older men. Michael recognized the one closer to the door as Makan, the owner of the Parts Shop in Gateon Port. He was wearing a sun hat, an orange Alolan shirt, and green cargo shorts.

The other man was none other than Dr. Kaminko. He was a slightly hunched man with glasses as thick as Chobin's, and a long white lab coat. He had a small white goatee, and his equally white hair formed a tower that sort of flared out into spikes at the top. It seemed like Dr. Kaminko was going over blueprints for some complicated machinery. Behind them, Jovi was playing with her Minun, seemingly having forgotten that they were supposed to be on their way home. Michael smiled politely to Dr. Kaminko, who was looking up at him. "Sorry, Doctor, I'm just here to take my sister home," he said politely. "I hope she hasn't gotten into too much trouble here."

"She was no trouble," Dr. Kaminko said, his accent coming through. "In fact, she was a day brightener for us."

Michael smiled again as he went past Dr. Kaminko's desk, crouching beside his sister. "Jovi, are you and Mimi ready to go home?"

"Oh, that's right, Jovi needs to show Michael and Liz how to get home," Jovi said.

Michael smiled. "You guessed it, Jovi," he said, not wanting to ruin her innocent imagination.

"Okay," she said, pulling out Mimi's Pokéball, recalling the little blue and white mouse Pokémon so they could leave the weird laboratory. "Jovi wants to thank Dr. Kaminko for letting her visit."

The doctor turned with a kind smile. "You are welcome here any time. But bring your family with you. We don't want to scare them."

"Jovi understands," she said with a cute smile. She took Michael's hand and they walked to the door together.

"Ready to go, Jovi?" Liz asked kindly. Jovi nodded and they all made their way outside to Michael's scooter.

"Alright, Lucielle, we got three people to get home," Michael said to the scooter.

Jovi started giggling. "Big brother, Jovi isn't sure why you're naming your bike."

Michael deadpanned a little as Liz gave him a smug, _I told you so_ look. "No reason…" Michael said as he opened the seat storage units, and pulled out two pairs of goggles, handing one to Liz, while he helps Jovi put hers on and tighten it appropriately for her. "Jovi, you're sitting in the middle seat, okay?" Jovi nodded as she took her seat. Michael took the driver's seat, and Liz took the back. Michael was about to kick on the engine when his P-DA lit up and buzzed. He pulled it out and saw a message from his uncle.

 _Michael, I see you've traveled far in your search for Jovi. When you come home, I have something I want to speak with to you about in private. – Uncle Richard_

Michael smiled and started up the scooter. "Alright, let's go home and get some dinner."

* * *

In the vast deserts of southeast Orre, there was a strange building that most residents assumed to be abandoned. It was all white, and it looked like a basic military bunker in a way. However, looks could be deceiving. Deeper under the sand, there was a woman who seemed to be about twenty-five, with long pink pigtails that reached her ankles. She was standing with her back to three men, all of whom were wearing nearly identical, white, high-tech armor that would make fans of Star Wars think of Stormtroopers.

"So, like, you all know your super, special, awesome job?" the woman asked as she looked at one of the three men, whose armor stood out with yellow highlights on some of the edges.

"Yes, ma'am, Lovrina," the man said firmly, truly fearing the wrath of his boss.

"And, like, one more super awesome part. Naps, you will have the Shadow Pokémon for this mission. It's, like, totally the first one to be made since the XD001 project was finished," the pink-haired woman said as she gave him a Pokéball.

The man, evidently named Naps, lowered his helmet's HUD, scanning the ball and seeing it was a level 11 Teddiursa. It may not have been that strong, but Naps knew he didn't need much else. The lab they were raiding was known to be full of bleeding-hearts who didn't enjoy battling. That was even more true since Cipher had killed the man who used to be the strongest trainer there, and orchestrated the death of the woman who held the second spot on that list.

"Now, you should, like, so totally get moving!" Lovrina said. "I still, like, have some adjustments to make on XD001, and Dr. Krane would so totally make it all easier!" With that, the trio of men ran out of the small room, going to their hover van out front.

* * *

As Michael drove up to the starkly white lab the trio on his scooter called home, with Jovi giving directions as they got to the familiar turns, he gave a sigh of relief, glad to see a normal lab that didn't pump out lawsuits waiting to happen. Out front this time, though, was none other than Michael's mother, wearing her usual pink pantsuit, although her hair was no longer in its usual bun. It was now free, going down to her hips. The way her hair fell almost made her look like a brunette version of Lusamine, the woman who led the Aether Foundation of Alola until a couple years ago. The big differences were that Lily's eyes held a kindness that few other could match, and she had a more tanned complexion than the blonde. It was no secret that a lot of the male researchers found her attractive, but kept their distance out of respect. Lily also still wore her wedding ring, even though it had been almost five years since his death.

Next to her was Liz's father, Dr. Christian Hanz, a second-generation migrant from Eastern Kalos. The man was dressed with business casual style, with khaki pants and a stylish dark grey sweater with a lighter grey stripe across the chest, which was over a blue and white checkered shirt. He was also wearing stylish shoes to match the outfit. His brown hair was cut tightly and it looked professionally styled.

Once Michael pulled his scooter into the garage, he took Jovi to their mom, with Liz going toward her father and hugging him tightly.

Lily just smiled and hugged Jovi, looking very relieved that the seven-year-old was safe. "Jovi, why did you run off like that?" Lily asked, trying to not sound angry with the little girl.

"Jovi was just curious. Besides, if Jovi hadn't been there, big brother and his girlfriend would have been lost. She got them back home," the little girl said as she hugged her mother and almost buried her face in the soft pink fabric.

Lily looked up at the blushing Michael, while Dr. Hanz was giving Liz a teasing look. "Well, Jovi, why don't you go finish your game with Adon, then get washed up for dinner," she said in her motherly tone.

Jovi's eyes lit up. "Ohmygosh, Jovi totally forgot!" she said as she sprinted into the house.

"What a ball of energy…" Lily said with a giggle before turning back to Michael and Liz. "Thank you both for going to get her."

"It was no problem. But you guys owe us for going to Kaminko's place," Liz said, trying to sound like she was joking.

"You didn't try any of his inventions, did you?" Dr. Hanz asked. "I remember when Mary heard you'd gotten sick from that man's product…she was a second away from having her Houndoom burn that place to the ground."

"Yeah, no joke," Liz said with a slight giggle, before her expression fell a little. "I still miss Mom…"

Dr. Hanz smiled softly. "I miss her too. And I miss Samuel as well," he said, referring to his wife, and Lily's husband. Both of them had been killed within a week of each other. Samuel had died in what police had considered to be a mugging gone wrong, while Mary had been killed in a car accident. The entire lab had been devastated by the losses, and the wounds had healed slowly. Despite the pain, however, they all kept working to finish the life work of Samuel and Mary.

Lily, decided to change topics as she looked at Michael. "By the way, your uncle said he wanted to see you in private before dinner."

"I was about to go meet with him," he said as he headed to the residential side of the lab, and quickly went up the elevator so he could go through Datan's room to Dr. Krane's office. When he got to the office, however, his uncle wasn't there. Instead, there was a note on the desk. Michael picked it up and skimmed it.

 _Michael, I figured you'd come here first. I'm downstairs with Joshua Aiden._ Michael chuckled slightly. He must be really predictable to his family if his uncle was leaving notes like this one. Without saying anything, Michael went down the laboratory elevator to the location where the main project was being finished. As he stepped off the elevator, he looked through the glass walls to his left and saw the nearly completed Purify Chamber. The way it worked was a bit difficult to explain, and Michael didn't yet know all the details of the machine would function. He wasn't too worried about the technical side of it, though. He was more concerned with whether it worked, should the need ever arise.

He saw the receptionist's desk, where Pam was sitting, and Michael could hear her softly snoring. He wasn't surprised, since there were rarely any visitors, nor were there a lot of phone calls to the lab that weren't from telemarketers. So, when Pam had long nights with her boyfriend, Jim, she had a tendency start sleeping in the middle of the workday. There were even times that one of the employees would bring her a blanket and a pillow on the colder days.

The room to Michael's right, however, seemed to be his destination to meet with his uncle. The door automatically opened, and Michael saw both his brown-haired uncle, and the black-haired Aiden waiting beside an odd machine that Michael had never seen in the lab before. It looked like it was a cylindrical case more than anything, and it had small piston-like parts around it that seemed to move in a slow rhythm.

"Ah, there you are!" Dr. Krane said. "How was Kaminko's place?"

Michael sighed. "Jovi picked up talking in the third-person from his assistant…so about how you'd expect."

Dr. Krane laughed slightly. "Oh boy, that's gonna be something we need to teach out of her," he said. "But the fact that she made it so far so quickly tells me that she has your mother's intellect, and your father's adventurous nature." He then simply gestured for Michael to come closer. "You remember the Shadow Crisis ten years ago?"

"Of course. I honestly think Wes was a real hero then," Michael said with a smile.

"Then you know how Wes caught and purified those Shadow Pokémon, right?" Krane said with a hinting smile.

"Didn't he…" Michael's eyes went wide. "He defected from Team Snagem in the most glorious way, then stole a Snag Machine. He then saved and recruited Rui, who could sense a Shadow Pokémon's aura. Then Wes would Snag the Shadow Pokémon when they were found."

"That's correct," Dr. Krane said as he walked closer to the case. "You see, we may have the Purify Chamber ready, but since Shadow Pokémon are never found in nature, the Chamber would be useless if we didn't have a way to take those Shadow Pokémon from their trainers."

Michael smirked, already seeing where this was going. He also had a bit of an uneasy feeling. "Wait…are you saying you developed a Snag Machine?"

"We did…but we modified it greatly," Dr. Krane said. "Just in case you were curious about the changes we made, I put a binder with the information in your room so you can read it when there's time."

Michael nodded, trusting his uncle. "Alright. How will this work?"

Dr. Krane pressed a button on the machine, releasing what must have been a pressurized seal, since steam was released from the top, as the container opened to reveal what looked like a silver Pokéball that was bigger than his shoulder. Dr. Krane picked up the object, and pressed the button. Like a normal Pokeball, it opened, but it didn't have a capture matrix, nor did it have any of the devices that converted Pokémon into an energy state for containment.

Instead, one side had two slots, and the other had a glove with a Pokéball on the palm. Michael then noticed the hinge was actually what seemed like a wired cord. Inside, there was also a single small computer chip. "Do you have your battle monitor?" Dr. Krane asked.

"Yeah," Michael said, taking it out, handing it to his uncle. Dr. Krane then opened the slots for the operating chips. There was one extra spot available, so he put the computer chip inside. Aiden then had Michael hold out left his hand, putting on the glove. He then extended the device's other half up to the shoulder. Once there, a metal cuff of sorts came out and wrapped around his arm before connecting inside the other slot. Once the connection was made, Dr. Krane handed Michael his monitor, which he put on his left ear like a Bluetooth earpiece. As soon as it was turned on, the Snag Machine whirred to life as pulses of light moved down the cord to the hand. Michael looked at the machine, thinking its high-tech look was cool, but he also couldn't help but compare it to Wes's Snag Machine, which had looked more like an armored sleeve.

"I added a sensor that functions the way that Rui's abilities worked. It can sense the aura of a Shadow Pokémon, and that activates its ability to function," Dr. Krane said.

"Side note, though," Aiden said. "That Snag Machine was originally designed to fit your father. And, now it fits you perfectly. Seems like you're your father's son after all."

"Wow, really?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, back when we designed it, the Snag Machine was intended for Sam. He was our best battler, and he had the resolve to do what was necessary should the need ever arise," Dr. Krane said before he sighed. "But, now that you're our best battler…even though it pains me to put this burden on my nephew…you're the only one we can trust with this."

Michael looked at the Snag Machine, now realizing just how much of a responsibility he would be taking on by wearing the Snag Machine. "Then I accept it, should the need ever arise."

Dr. Krane turned to face Michael and Aiden, a look of regretful understanding on his face. "Aiden, please show Michael how to put Pokéballs into the machine."

Aiden nodded, taking out a case of five empty Pokéballs. At the top of the shoulder extension was the button that had been used to separate the two halves. "Like a normal Pokéball, this one turns things into energy, but we made it a little different too. This device can contain and sort multiple different Pokéballs. Then, when snagging a Pokémon, it will remotely mute the signal of the capture matrix inside that Pokémon's Pokéball. As for how to put the Pokéball into the machine, it's simple." Aiden tapped the Pokéballs on the button individually and they all turned into energy like a Pokémon being recalled.

"That's really simple," Michael noted.

"And when you want to snag a Pokémon, just use the menu on your eyepiece," Michael turned on the eyepiece, seeing that there was a "Snag" option now. But, like in a video game where a menu tab was unavailable to the player, the text was darker than the other options.

"Alright, Michael, we're going to get a battle simulation started for you," Dr. Krane said as he led the way out of the room. Michael nodded.

"I'll be there in a bit," he said. "This is a lot to take in all at once."

"Very well," Dr. Krane said. "The program will take a while to download anyway." His voice's tone told Michael that he had a very deep regret for putting his nephew, the only son of his younger sister, directly into harm's way.

It wasn't more than thirty seconds after Dr. Krane left the room when they all heard glass crash loudly. "WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" There was no response other than the sound of hard-soled boots hitting the ground, followed by the sound of Dr. Krane shouting obscenities, but his voice was getting further away. Michael's eyes went wide and he ran to see what was happening. What he saw got him scared. Pam was standing with her hands over her mouth. There was also glass all over the floor from the now broken front doors. She saw Michael. "M-Michael, you have to help. These strange men came inside and they…they took Dr. Krane."

Michael was already sprinting forward, leaping over the glass. _No, no, no! We can't lose Uncle Richard…I can't lose him like I lost Dad._ He then saw that there were two employees knocked out, luckily not including Liz, or Dr. Hanz. Past them, there were three men in matching white armor with red plumes on the shoulders. There was one, who had yellow on his armor, and there was one man who stood just less than seven feet tall. The giant among men was holding a struggling Dr. Krane.

"What the hell are you doing? Where are you taking me?" Richard said angrily.

"Nowhere in particular. You've just been relocated to a new lab, Doctor," the man with the yellow-lined armor.

Michael had heard enough. He ran forward, so he was visible to the others. "Get your hands off him!"

"Oh, this day is getting better. We get to see some prick playing the hero, then beat him down before we go," the man with yellow on his armor said.

"Naps, we don't have time for this kid," the giant said.

"Heh, did you forget that this place has no good battlers? This'll be fast, no matter what machinery you have to make your arm look cool," the man said as he took out a Pokéball. Michael did the same, pulling out Eevee's Pokéball.

"No good battlers?" Michael said angrily. "Let's put that to the test." The two both throw their Pokéballs out at the same time. Eevee did a cute flip before landing gracefully on his feet. The Pokémon they faced, a Teddiursa that would normally be cute, just landed and glared menacingly at everyone in the area. Michael got a slight chill just as his eyepiece gave a quick beeping noise, extending the screen and revealing the most menacingly black aura that Michael had ever seen. It also showed that this Teddiursa was a level 11 female.

"Michael! It's a Shadow! Remember what we told y-AAAH!" Dr. Krane called out, only for the giant to put both his arms into a wing-formation.

"Start the truck now!" the giant said to the peon of the trio.

"On it sir," he said as he ran to an orange and red truck with one hover-jet on each side.

Michael, however, was now focusing on his eyepiece, programming a snag with one of the Pokéballs inside the Snag Machine. "Eevee, just start dodging," Michael said as he got to the last step of programming the snag: picking the target. Without any other options, he picked Teddiursa.

The screen then put up a written prompt. _Hold arm out straight, and with an open palm._ Michael followed, keeping his fingers ready for the Pokéball he was expecting. With a glow from the symbol on the glove, one manifested. Michael took hold of it, feeling an odd energy buzzing around the ball. _Throw. Auto-Targeting Engaged._ Michael pulled his arm back, then gave a strong side arm toss. He'd thrown it just in time, as Teddiursa's black aura was now visible without the eyepiece, making it clear she was about to attack.

As the ball flew at the target, everyone in the area stopped what they were doing, seeing the ball open and send out a hand made of energy. Teddiursa couldn't react in time as the hand closed around her, changed her into energy, and pulled her into the Pokéball. The ball closed and fell to the ground, shaking quickly before snapping shut and sending sparks up.

Michael saw Dr. Krane smiling at him looking a bit triumphant, but the invaders were stunned. Naps was the first to speak. "What…what was that? It couldn't have been…a SNAG?" Michael didn't answer other than to walk forward and pick up the newly filled Pokéball, clipping it to his belt. Their thoughts were interrupted by the roar of the truck nearby, and the sound of the back-hatch opening. "Damn it, we need to get back to HQ. That kid has a Snag Machine. This could interfere with the Grand Design."

"No shit!" the giant said as he quickly hit Dr. Krane, knocking the man out. Michael recalled Eevee, knowing what was coming now. Naps and the giant ran to the truck, and unceremoniously threw their captive into the back, closing it, and getting into the cab. Michael was sprinting toward the truck, but it was already off the ground. It just sped off, leaving a cloud of dust.

"Uncle Richard!" Michael said, his mind going numb. He fell to his knees, looking almost dazed. "No…" He fell to his hands, then to his elbows, feeling emotional pain welling up. He did all he could do, and gave an animalistic shout of anger.

* * *

Just as Michael was crying in emotional pain, Alicia was crying out from the physical torment she was enduring right now. She was currently strapped down to an operating table. Standing behind a wall of glass, observing her was a heavily muscled, apelike man with headphones and goggles, along with the lead scientist for the project. The other scientists were in the room, operating the torture equipment. "It's incredible how long she's resisted the transformation," the head scientist said. "She was one of the first we brought in, yet she's still holding out."

The muscular man half grunted in response. "I don't care how resistant she is. The Grand Master is already livid enough with the failing of XD001. We will not report anything to him other than success with our production. Got it?" he said powerfully.

"Yes, Gorigan, sir. I was just noting that she's a strong one. According to the ship's manifest, she's the daughter of the Gardevoir from Hoenn, Gwen. I just wonder if we should get her to evolve first, then make her a Shadow," the researcher said.

"A pretty thought," Gorigan said. "But the Grand Master isn't patient. Nor are his immediate subordinates."

The researcher nodded. "Then we will proceed as normal," he said as he switched on the microphone. "Double the output. If it kills her, so be it. The outcome depends on whether the Ralts stops resisting." He switched off the microphone. "That should do it."

Alicia's eyes went wide. _Mom, please, help me._ That was the last thing she said telepathically before black electricity began to course through the metal cuffs on the table, making her writhe and shriek in agony. At the last second before her senses went dull, she felt herself beginning an evolution process. The pain, however, stopped it completely, and she was instead shrouded in a terrible blackness. When Alicia came out of the pain, her restraints had been shattered, her vision was tinted red, and she felt no emotions at all. She looked around, then down at her hands where she saw a dark aura radiating off her. Then she realized she could remember nothing about herself. She even felt like there was a wall blocking off all of her thoughts that made her an individual. She then felt the need to destroy everything around her. She put her hands together, and a ball of her aura solidified. With no emotion whatsoever, she threw it at one of the heart monitors, causing it to explode. Before she could go further, though, she was pulled into a Pokéball, restraining her before she attacked one of the researchers.

Behind the glass, Gorigan was giving a smirk of success. "Great job. You broke the resistant. That, however, is only half of the Pokémon we are supposed to turn. Get back to work, or the Grand Master will feed you to XD001."

The researcher nodded. "Of course, sir."

 **Hey all, glad I got this chapter out so quickly compared to the later chapters of Brendan's Journey.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this one. Please leave a review to let me know what you think. Constructive Criticism is greatly appreciated.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Lively Port

_The Lively Port_

It was the next day after Dr. Krane had been taken by the mysterious men. The night before, Michael and Liz had looked in their Orre History books from school, and Michael realized just how similar the old Cipher uniforms were to what Michael said the kidnappers had been wearing. However, the police had been unwilling to listen, saying they were probably just people pretending to be Cipher, since the syndicate had disbanded ten years ago. The police were almost always too lazy to actually investigate crimes other than the ones that need only minimal effort, even though their investigative performance lasted until midnight last night.

Michael was sitting in the room where he'd gotten the Snag Machine, which was still on his arm. Everyone in the head families of the lab was in the room with him, along with Aiden, and the only sounds was Jovi crying. She had been preoccupied with her game of hide and seek, and when the crash sounded through the lab, Adon had kept her occupied so she wouldn't see anything traumatizing. Liz was directly across from him, trying to hide her tears. There was a sense of depression over the group.

Normally, Michael would be trying to comfort his little sister, but he was having an even harder time with the recent events. _Why is this happening to us? Were Dad and Mrs. Hanz not enough? I swear, Arceus, you're going to drive me insane._

Lily was beside Jovi, holding her daughter closely, trying to hold back her own tears from losing her brother. "Jovi, please don't cry. He's going to be fine. The police are doing everything they can to find Uncle Richard."

Michael didn't want to give Jovi any doubt, and he could see that Liz was feeling the same way. They both knew that the police in Orre were as useful as a warm cup of spit. That had been true ten years ago, with Wes doing all the work to stop Cipher before the police did anything of worth. This time, it seemed worse, as the officers absolutely refused to believe Teddiursa was a Shadow Pokémon. They had just left without any legitimate leads.

Aiden, however, had his focus across the hall, looking at the Purify Chamber. "If only we had finished the chamber. Without Dr. Krane…I'm not sure we can finish the project," he said with a defeated tone. "And I'm certain that there are more Shadow Pokémon out there, aside from that Teddiursa."

The room went mostly silent, aside from Jovi's crying. Michael then saw his mother's expression turn from sorrow to determination. "No," she said. "We can, and we WILL finish the chamber." Her tone was so full of confidence that everybody in the room looked up. That included Jovi, who suddenly stopped crying.

"But, Lily, you know that Richard is critical to this project," Aiden said.

"Perhaps, but the chamber is almost done anyway. Aside from a few final touches, all of which have been laid out in detail, we're pretty much finished," Lily said confidently. "We didn't get this far just because Richard was here. It was because we worked as a team. And I know that Richard would be livid if he found out that all of us just gave up without trying as soon as he was gone." She then stood up and started walking out of the room. "I'm going to meet with Datan and start preparing for the finishing touches."

Michael thought for a moment, then smiled and closed his eyes in thought. _Mom's right. I can't just sit here feeling sorry for myself, and moping around. Uncle Richard wouldn't want us crying…and neither would Dad. They would want us to keep pressing on, no matter what._ His thoughts actually wound up making Michael remember a time not long after losing his father, where he had a very meaningful talk with his mother.

* * *

 _ **4 Years Earlier**_

A 14-year-old Michael was sitting on the ground with Eevee beside him. They were both in somber moods as they were in front of a headstone, marked "Samuel Orison." Michael was crying silently, holding Eevee for comfort. The little Pokémon sensed his new trainer's sadness, and he was trying his best to cheer him up, lightly pawing at his arms. Michael appreciated his Pokémon's efforts, but the pain of losing his father so suddenly was too fresh.

"Why, Dad? Why did you leave us?" he asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. His mother was a short distance away, with a three-year-old Jovi sleeping in a stroller. She knew what her son was saying to the grave, even if she couldn't hear his words. She was also struggling to make sense of what had happened. She had her suspicions of what had happened, and Richard agreed with her. However, they both agreed to not tell Michael. After all, how exactly does a mother tell her son that his father was likely murdered by a criminal syndicate that shouldn't have even been in existence. And, even with Richard stepping up to help her, now she was a widowed mother of two. She would certainly have trouble in the future with her children.

Samuel's research into the purification of Shadow Pokémon was likely what had drawn the syndicate's attention. When news spread of the Purify Chamber, it must have been the final straw that Cipher was willing to let happen. They took action, and had arranged to put three bullets in his chest, killing him before he hit the ground. The police had wound up doing nothing, and the trail went cold.

It had been only a month since that day, and the pain was still unbearable. Right now, though, she couldn't sit back and feel sorry for herself. Right now, her son needed her. It was made even more evident when Eevee got around to Michael's lap, and raised himself so his front paws were on his trainer's chest, mewing at the boy. Michael's response was only to reach up and pet the little Pokémon behind his ears.

Lily moved to Michael with Jovi's stroller, before kneeling beside him and putting her hand on his shoulder, making him jump slightly. He had been so lost in thought that he'd missed the crunching leaves that signaled her approach. "M-mom? W-when did you get here?" he asked through the tears he was trying to hide. Eevee, however, gave Lily a happy nuzzle, making her smile and laugh as she pet the little creature.

"I've been here this whole time," she said, sounding sympathetic as she looked at the gravestone. "Michael, I know it hurts…I miss him almost more than I bear. But, even with that pain, I can still feel how much he loves us."

"But…how are you so calm about it?" Michael asked. "How are you so strong?"

Lily sighed, feeling tears starting to fall. "I'm really not that strong. But, I do remember something Sam told me when my father died. He said that my dad wouldn't want me feeling sorry for myself, and that he wanted me to keep living life to the fullest and keep pursuing my dreams." Michael looked up with some interest, but didn't say much else, so Lily pulled him into a tight hug, giving Michael the comfort that only a mother can provide. She kissed his forehead gently. "Sam wouldn't want to see you mourning for too long. He wants you to keep going to fulfill your own dreams, whatever they may be."

Michael sighed happily, his tears drying now. "Thank you, Mom. I promise, I'll try to make you and Dad proud of me."

Lily smiled, giggling softly. "Michael, we've always been proud of you, and there is noting you could ever do to make either of us stop being proud of you," she said. _After all, you were Sam's favorite._

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

Michael opened his eyes and stood up, catching Liz's attention. "I'm going upstairs. Mom might need some extra help with the project. I may not be great with the mechanics and the engineering, but I know there's something I can do." He didn't wait for a response before he left the room, heading up the elevator.

Liz, however, had a deep sense of worry. _What is this region coming to?_ _Are we facing another Shadow Pokémon Crisis?_ Her thoughts raced at a hundred miles an hour, but she knew one thing for certain: she was terrified of what was to come.

Upstairs, Michael had just entered Datan's room, hearing Lily discussing the technical information regarding the Chamber, and how to finalize the computer coding. Michael, however, had no knowledge of any coding languages, so he could barely understand what was being said. Lily saw him come in as well, but she couldn't break concentration while talking code. Datan was working along with their conversation, balancing Lily's suggestions with his own until they got to a stopping point. Lily then turned to her son. "Sorry for making you wait," she said.

"It's not a problem," Michael said. "I know that coding takes a lot of concentration."

"Anyway, what is it you needed?" Lily asked.

"Actually, that's what I was going to ask," Michael said. "Is there anything you need help with?"

"Actually, there is, now that you mention it. The Parts Shop in Gateon Port called recently and said that the last component for the chamber has been finished. Could you please go and pick that up for me?" Lily said happily.

"Yeah, that's no problem," he said, knowing that his minimal skills with engineering or computer sciences would only lead to him getting in the way. Plus, his scooter would make the task easier. "Just so I know, how big is this part supposed to be?"

"It's pretty small. It'll easily fit in your moped," Lily said with a smile.

That's when Jovi came in. "Jovi can help too! She knows exactly where the part shop is. Her friend, Emili, lives right next to it with Acri. Her beaming smile and her excited tone made it impossible for Michael and Lily to find the will to say no.

Michael knelt beside Jovi. "Of course, you can come," he said. "But I want you to promise me that you'll stay close to me the entire time."

Jovi nodded, her excitement still visible in her innocent smile. "Okay, big brother, Jovi will stay with you the whole time!"

Michael and Jovi left the room together, leaving Lily full of pride for her children. _Sam, are you watching? Our son has grown up to be just like you. And Jovi is still as energetic as ever. I know you'd be proud of them._

* * *

Down at the garage, Michael was already getting his scooter out, when he saw an unexpected face. "Liz? What's up?" he asked, handing Jovi the pair of small goggles.

"Michael…you're going to do a job…right after what happened to your Uncle, and you didn't even ask me to come," she said, her tone showing worry more than anger.

"I assumed you'd be busy here," Michael said.

"You thought there'd be something more important than making sure you stay safe? Cipher knows you have a Snag Machine now. Don't you think they'll be coming after you?"

Michael couldn't answer her question, even if it was rhetorical. She was completely right. "Well, we're going to Gateon Port, if you want to come," he said, holding out the other pair of goggles.

Liz smiled and put them on eagerly. "Glad you understand. By the way, it's a thirty-minute ride to Gateon Port. Can you handle that?"

Michael smirked as he got on, starting the engine. Jovi put her goggles on and sat behind her brother, with Liz sitting behind her. "Thirty minutes is only if I go slow," he said as he kicked the scooter into gear.

* * *

Twenty-nine minutes later, Jovi was gasping at the sight of the blue sky over a picturesque ocean. "So pretty!" she said.

Liz and Michael both giggled, knowing Jovi had the same reaction every time she came to Orre's port town. They had to agree. Since Cipher had seemingly vanished ten years ago, the entire region had begun to clean up the pollution that had driven away the wild Pokémon. Still, the water surrounding the docks was disgusting. Multiple Styrofoam cups floated near the concrete walls of the pier. What disgusted Michael the most, though, was the fact that there were a couple diapers in the water.

 _And people wonder why the Pokémon don't come back to this region,_ Michael thought in annoyance.

"Come on, big brother, the Parts Shop is this way!" Jovi called. Michael turned and saw Jovi start running to the southern part of the town. Michael and Liz followed her a bit slower, but they sped up when they saw Jovi was unaware that she was on a collision course with a massive skater punk, easily over 6'5", and had a blonde flat-top haircut. They didn't even have time to call out a warning to her. She almost slammed into him, falling onto her rear, and causing the guy to look down in shock.

"Ouchies," she said. "I fell down." She shook her head to clear the slight daze, and she got up. Despite her age, she never cried from physical pain. Michael actually envied his sister's toughness in these situations. The skater initially seemed to be laid back as he looked Jovi over. Michael wanted to feel relieved, but this guy gave him a bad feeling. Liz felt the same way.

"Woah there, little lady," he said as he seemed to push out his red, lightning-bolt shirt for intimidation. Liz saw it, and started walking toward Jovi. Michael was close behind her. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Jovi noticed that Michael and Liz were behind her now, to show the guy she wasn't alone. The guy, however, didn't notice either of them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you," Jovi said. Michael took notice that her use of the third-person had ended for now. "I was just–"

"SORRY?!" the guy said, getting visibly angry, stomping his foot hard, and glaring at her. "You messed up the hip and happening look of Zook." Jovi recoiled with fear in her eyes, something Michael had honestly never seen from his sister. Liz saw it as well, but when she saw Michael's building rage, she had a feeling that he would try to put Zook in his place. Jovi's fear, however, seemed to only spur Zook's anger. He just spat on the ground and looked ready to attack. "Sorry don't even begin to cut it!"

Jovi shrank back, then turned and ran behind Michael, getting Zook to notice the two eighteen-year-olds for the first time. "Huh, you two with that munchkin?" Michael started to notice that a small crowd was gathering.

"We are," he said, showing his anger, his left hand clenching, making the palm of the Snag Machine seem to light up. "You will not lay a hand on my sister."

Zook smirked. "Why would I do that, when I could just beat your ass and take your pretty girlfriend for myself?" he said, winking at Liz, who did her best not to wretch.

"You couldn't beat him. You're not even a real man," Liz said. "After all, you seem to take pleasure in picking on kids."

Zook sneered at that comment, then turned to Michael. "Well, you still look like a trainer. You'll be loads more fun to beat down than that small fry," he took out a Pokéball, and Michael suddenly felt a chill in the air. "I'll just crush you with my Shadow Pokémon."

Michael's face turned from fury to concern. _Did he just say…Shadow Pokémon?_ Zook tossed his Pokéball out, and it released a white ferret-like Pokémon with red markings across its chest, on its left ear, across its left eye, and both of its hands. _A Zangoose…_ he thought as the Shadow Monitor beeped in response. The screen extended, and Michael saw the black aura. He also saw that it was level 28. _None of my Pokémon stand a chance against that…but I can't back out now._

That's when Michael heard laughter behind them that both calmed his nerves, and sent chills down his spine simultaneously. The laughter was paired with three sets of footsteps, and the tapping of a cane. He turned and saw a senior citizen with an expensive-looking purple cape over a maroon suit. His smile, his rounded glasses, and his general demeanor seemed to show kindness, but Michael couldn't shake the bad feelings he had about this man too. Beside him, there were two men in their mid-to-late forties, wearing near identical suits and sunglasses. The one on the right had a blue kimono under his dark grey top. His hair looked blue in the light, likely due to dark hair greying slightly. The one on the left, who seemed like the younger one, had a red kimono under a similar top. His hair was also red, looking darker than Michael's, but it was neatly trimmed.

"Oh, no, no, no," the elderly man in the center said. "Pokémon are not meant to be used in such a manner. Choose your time and place." His voice sounded deep and soothing, and he was clearly wealthy based on the clothes he was wearing, as well as those his presumed bodyguards wore. Michael also felt an intense gaze coming from the man in blue, almost like there was some recognition. Liz saw it too, and she was sure that neither she nor Michael knew any of these men.

"Tch, and what the hell will you do about it, old man? You should stay out of this for your own good," Zook said, not noticing that his intimidation tactics were clearly not working. "BEAT IT!"

The man in blue stepped forward. "Mr. Verich, if you don't mind, I would like to put this boy in his place." The elderly man smirked and nodded.

Zook's smirk got wider. "Fine, I'll just crush all of you!" Liz saw that bravado, but she could also sense an overwhelming confidence coming from the man in blue.

The mystery man reached into his long sleeve, and pulled out a Pokéball, sighing like all of this was beneath him. He opened the Pokéball without throwing it. "Come out, Alakazam!" he said. Michael turned on his battle monitor as the bipedal fox-like Pokémon came out, holding the two spoons the species was known for holding to amplify their psychic powers. Just by looking at it, though, Michael could tell that Zook wasn't just outmatched, he was outclassed in every way. Then he saw the Pokémon's level, and balked.

 _Level 90?! This guy is almost as strong as a regional champion,_ Michael thought. Liz saw Michael's stunned expression, as did Jovi. They were about to ask him about the Alakazam's level, but they got an answer when the Zangoose was gripped by a Psychic attack. It was then slammed into the ground hard enough to crack the concrete. Zook growled as he recalled the Shadow Pokémon, looking defeated and pissed.

"Damn it! How could I lose like that?" Zook asked through gritted teeth. "I'll get you back for this one day, you fogie." He then stormed off, pushing past the small crowd as he left the town.

"Sir, shall I give chase?" the man in blue asked.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm sure he'll feel more karma soon enough," the man, who Michael assumed was named Verich. "Let us go to the Krabby Club and enjoy ourselves." With that, the three men began making their way to the northern part of the city as the crowd dispersed.

Jovi stepped toward them, catching their attention. "Umm…th-thank you," she said.

Mr. Verich chuckled. "No thanks are needed, my dear," he said as he turned to face the little girl. "We only did what was necessary." With that, he and his bodyguards continued on their way, leaving Michael, Liz, and Jovi by the docks, hearing the little girl start to cry in reaction to the fear she'd just been put through.

Once they were out of earshot, the man in blue spoke. "Sir, did you happen to see the faces of the boy and the little girl?"

Mr. Verich smirked. "I did, Ardos. It seems we just helped the son and daughter of Samuel Orison. But they are of no concern."

The red-haired man spoke next. "I think the more pressing concern, at the moment, is that device on his arm. Lovrina's report on their operation mentioned that the HQ Lab has a Snag Machine. I assume that was it," he said.

"I doubt he will be much of a threat, Eldes. You must've noticed his apprehension when the Zangoose came out," Mr. Verich said.

"Are you certain, sir?" Eldes said, though his emotions were mixed with doubt. Other organizations had made the mistake of underestimating a potential enemy in the past, and they had all paid dearly. _If he defies expectations, maybe I'll have a rival._

"I am certain. Besides, if he does become a threat, then we might be able to use him to cull the weak among our membership," Verich said.

"Understood, sir," Eldes said.

* * *

Michael and Liz were both working together to comfort the crying Jovi, with Michael holding her close. While Jovi had tried to stay as brave as possible while Zook was around, her fear had still overwhelmed her, and a kid her age could really only handle so much stress. So, she cried and held onto her brother. She always felt at ease with him.

"Hey, you're gonna be okay, Jovi. He's gone, and I promise that he's not coming back," Michael said gently, trying to get her to calm down.

Jovi sniffled slightly, looking up at him. "You promise?"

Michael nodded. "I promise. He probably won't even come back to this city after that." Jovi started to smile slightly. "Besides, you have more important things to do. Don't forget that Mom needs you to get the order from the Parts Store." Jovi smiled a bit wider, wiping her eyes clear with her sleeve.

 _Wow, he's so good with kids…_ Liz thought, smiling as she watched him, only to hear small footsteps behind them. She turned and saw a red-haired girl about the same age as Jovi in a green and white striped skirt, with a yellow shirt. That little girl was walking with a brunette woman a bit younger than Lily, and with hair just above her shoulders.

"Jovi, is that you?" the other girl said.

Jovi lit up. "Emili?" she turned and smiled again. "I didn't know you were nearby!" She sounded genuinely happy to see her friend.

"You two must be Michael and Liz," the woman said. "I'm Acri. Emili is my daughter."

Michael stood up and shook Acri's outstretched hand, with Liz doing the same after him. "It's great to finally meet you," Liz said as Jovi and Emily seemed to get lost in their own conversation.

"Likewise. Jovi has told me all about you two," Acri said.

"Oh…knowing her, that could have made me look either really good, or _really_ bad," Michael said, half-joking.

The woman giggled softly. "It was all good things. She clearly looks up to you a great deal."

Michael sighed. "Yeah, but I still felt pretty useless just a few minutes ago when that jerk tried to hurt her. I'm just lucky that old man stepped in when he did."

"Oh, Mr. Verich. He's pretty well-known around Orre, since he's very philanthropic," Acri said.

"How so?" Liz asked, sounding curious since she'd never heard of any businesses or rich people with the name Verich.

"Well, he was one of the people who helped to fund the S.S. Libra's project," she seemed to get a bit more somber. "It's a shame what happened to that ship, disappearing without so much as a trace."

"Yeah," Michael said, remembering when he and Liz got their Eevees on the same day, him with his dad, and her with her mom. "And now kids won't be able to start training Pokémon so easily."

"I even heard a rumor that the daughter of the Hoenn Champion's Gardevoir was on that ship," Liz said.

Acri looked off into the distance. "To think that such a wonderful family, like the Maples, would be put through such emotional stress…"

She left her sentence there. They all knew what she was saying. The worst things always happened to the best people, and with how much Gwen seemed to love her daughter, based only on what was seen in public, she must be going through Hell.

"Anyway," Michael said. "Jovi, we should get that part as soon as possible."

"Okay, big brother," she said.

"And, one last thing before you go," Acri said. "I know you're a trainer, Michael, so I think you'd like to know that there are two trainers in Gateon Port with unusually strong Pokémon. One is on the top of the lighthouse, and the other is on the northern side of the city if you go on the rotating bridges. Although, some say the Pokémon are…abnormally aggressive."

"Oh, thank you," Michael said as Acri and Emili went off, realizing that there were two more Pokémon he might need to snag while they were here. He pulled out his P-DA and sent a message to his Mom to update her. _Hey, might take some extra time at Gateon. There might be some Shadow Pokémon._

He sent the message, then put the device away. "Alright, let's go find the shop," Michael said.

Liz just started giggling. "I don't know…maybe it's the building with the giant, rotating metal scooter on the roof," she said sarcastically.

Michael deadpanned briefly. "Yeah, maybe that's it…" he said as he followed Liz to the building in question. When they got into the building, they were met with a man who seemed to be a sailor, but they didn't see Perr, or Makan.

The sailor looked up happily. "Hello there. If you're here for shop business, I'm afraid that Perr and Makan are both out on separate jobs, and they didn't teach me the combination to the safe."

Michael looked intrigued. "Strange…they called us to let us know our order was ready."

The sailor looked sympathetic. "You're welcome to wait here, if you'd like…but I would give anything to be out on the ocean right now. Problem is that, ever since the Libra incident, travel has been banned to, from, and around Orre." His tone seemed slightly depressed. "I remember when I would sail with my Eevee."

"You raised an Eevee?" Michael asked.

The sailor perked up. "That I did, and I am still raising her as a Glaceon," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"We're both raising an Eevee of our own," Liz said excitedly. She and Michael both let out their Eevees. Normally, this might have been confusing, but Liz's Eevee wasn't the usual brown with cream colored fur on the chest and the tip of the tail, the way Michael's was. Her Eevee was a silver color with white fur on her chest and the tip of her tail.

Immediately, the two Eevees, who were much like Michael and Liz in that they were best friends since they were born, began wrestling playfully. The sailor smiled happily as he watched the Pokémon. "Well, since you are both fellow Eevee trainers, I assume you both know Eevee's unique evolutionary line," he said. They both nodded, and the sailor continued. "Then, I should tell you that I've scoured the world to find items needed to evolve an Eevee." He went to the counter and took out a duffel bag. He then carefully took out and set down the evolutionary stones. These included a Thunder Stone, a Water Stone, a Fire Stone, a Leaf Stone, an Ice Stone, and three items that Michael and Liz didn't recognize, one of which was in a bag. "These last two stones are the Sun Shard, which evolves Eevee into an Espeon, and a Moon Shard, which gets an Umbreon. The bag, however, contains what can only be described as Pixie Dust, which gets a Sylveon."

As if sensing the power radiating from the items on the table, both Eevees came closer, and jumped onto the table. "Are…you offering to let us use one of these?"

The sailor just smiled. "That I am. Consider it a form of passing the torch," he said.

Michael and Liz looked to their respective Eevees, with Liz moving first. "Michael, if you don't mind, my Eevee and I agreed a long time ago that she would become a Sylveon when she evolved. Can we use that one?"

Michael nodded. "I'm okay with it," he said as the sailor picked up the bag and gave it to her. She opened the tie to see pink, glittering dust inside.

"Just let your Eevee touch the dust. It will start the evolution," the sailor said. Liz opened the bag wide enough so Eevee's paw could touch it directly. The little silver Pokémon wasted no time putting her paw into the powder. Upon contact, the dust began to fly up and swirl around the Eevee, getting steadily closer until, finally, it began glowing as it seemed to fuse with the Pokémon. The little Eevee immediately began to glow brightly. She grew taller, with her ears getting longer as her tail got longer, with one tuft visible just below the tip. The fur on her body also shortened and compressed into bowties and ribbon-like extensions. In two seconds, the shine was gone, and the Eevee had evolved into a blue Sylveon.

Liz cheered happily as she saw her newly evolved Pokémon. "Congratulations, Sylveon!" she said, earning a lick of affection from the Pokémon.

Michael, however, had directed his Eevee toward the rest of the stones, all of which were situated around the little Pokémon. "Alright, buddy. I know we haven't talked about evolving…so, I'm leaving the choice to you. Pick whichever stone you want, and I will be happy with it no matter what happens."

Eevee mewed happily to his trainer, then looked at each stone, sniffing them carefully as he decided. Then, with a look of determination, and confidence, Eevee made his choice, placing his paw on the stone he wanted.

* * *

 **And, with that cliffhanger, I will end the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Before ending entirely, though, I'd like to make a note: Yes, I know that Eevee doesn't evolve into Leafeon, Glaceon, or Sylveon with the items I mentioned. But, since the Sun Shard and Moon Shard were made for XD to accommodate for the lack of a Day/Night cycle, I decided to make the other stones work like the shards, and I added Pixie Dust, because why not. So, please, don't get on my ass about that.**

 **Anyway, please leave a review, and let me know what you think. I am open to all constructive criticism.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Eeveelution of Battle

_The Eeveelution of Battle_

Michael watched as his Eevee put his paw onto the green Thunder Stone. He smiled as electricity began to arc out of the stone, much like the Pixie Dust. The stone began to glow brightly as it released more electricity steadily, making his hair stand up like with static electricity. As more electricity poured out, the stone began to shrink until it vanished completely. The electricity began to swirl around Eevee before it began to fuse with his body, making him begin to glow with his evolution. He grew to about 2'07", and his formerly brown fur changed to yellow. His tail vanished and was replaced by spikes that looked like a jagged sideview of a lightning bolt. The fur around his neck turned white, with it became jagged like his tail. As the glowing faded, Michael noticed the slight scent of ozone coming from the newly evolved Jolteon.

Jolteon looked at Michael with his gleaming, black eyes that were narrower than before. Michael smiled at his friend, hugging him tightly, and noticing that the jagged fur was actually very soft. "Congrats, buddy. I'm so proud of you," he said.

"Hey, Michael, want to have a battle?" Liz asked.

"Wait, you actually want to have a battle? I thought you and Sylveon hated battles," Michael asked.

"We usually do, but I think we need to pass some time, and I actually really enjoy battling when you're my opponent," Liz said, trying to hide her blush. She didn't want Michael to think she just wanted to do something he loved with him.

"I guess I can't say no to that," Michael said, trying to ignore Jovi's giggling. He then turned to the sailor. "Thank you for your help, sir."

"It was my pleasure. By the way, if Perr is done fixing those rotating bridges, please let him know that I'm alone here."

"Will do," Liz said as they left, heading to an open area. Sylveon and Jolteon both walked onto the field as they prepared for the battle. Michael turned on his battle monitor, and Liz put her own monitor, which looked like a pair of cute, black sunglasses. They both took a second to check the attacks their newly evolved Pokémon had learned.

"Alright, let's go!" Liz said. "But I don't want to go till they faint. How about the first to the half-way mark loses the battle."

"Sounds good, and I have a couple Potions for after we finish. I'll start us off," he said with a smirk, seeing a small crowd gathering. "Thunder Shock!" Jolteon gave a sharp call as he fired a bolt of lightning at Sylveon.

"Dodge, and use Fairy Wind!" Liz said. The blue and white Pokémon leapt to the side, dodging the arc of electricity, while her ribbons glowed softly. Sylveon mewed as she gathered a small tornado of glittering pink wind. She threw the attack at Jolteon. It moved fast, but Jolteon was blindingly fast in his own regard.

In a flash that looked like lightning, Jolteon dodged the cyclone, then used another Thunder Shock. This time, he made contact. Sylveon gave a slight yelp before she extended the ribbons and wrapped around Jolteon. She then created a Fairy Wind attack around the Lightning Pokémon. It made Jolteon yelp. Michael looked at the health bars on his monitor, seeing that both Jolteon and Sylveon were at the three-quarter mark. "Bite!" Michael said. Jolteon ran forward, his teeth glowing dark before he jumped out of the tornado, getting free of the ribbons as well. He then ran forward and was about to bite Sylveon when Liz did something unexpected.

"Attract," Liz said, smirking. Sylveon gave Jolteon a wink, sending a sparkling heart toward her friend. The heart hit Jolteon in the face directly, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Jolteon was blushing slightly, looking at Sylveon, who seemed to be giving the Pokémon equivalent of the kissy-face. It was clear that Jolteon was too infatuated with the Sylveon now.

Liz smirked happily. "Use Tackle!" Sylveon charged forward, getting close before Jolteon shook himself out of his daze, and continued with his Bite. But…he wound up biting Sylveon on the ear, looking like it was more affectionate than combative. Michael and Liz both blushed and recoiled slightly at the sight of their Pokémon being publicly affectionate. Sylveon started blushing too, flinching at Jolteon's almost playful bite.

Then, as if to show happiness, Jolteon let loose with electricity zapping Sylveon almost excitedly. Three seconds later, both Michael and Liz saw that Sylveon was below her halfway point of her health.

"Well…seems that strategy backfired a little," Liz said as they ended the battle. Michael smiled and tossed her a Potion.

"A little, but I wasn't expecting that either," he said. "You've gotten really good since our last battle. And the way Sylveon grabbed Jolteon for Fairy Wind was impressive."

Liz blushed at the compliment. "Thank you for noticing," she said, hearing the small crowd applaud the brief battle. "Well, let's go find Perr, then check if those rumored Pokémon are Shadows. We don't want to keep the lab waiting."

Jolteon let go of Sylveon, but Michael noticed that his Pokémon was still looking at Sylveon in the same way as when he was under the effects Attract. He sighed and tossed a potion to Liz, and they got to work treating all of the relatively small injuries on their Pokémon. They both finished quickly, then recalled their Pokémon. "You know, when you get your second Pokémon, we may have to do a double battle," Michael said.

"Maybe, but it depends on how strong we both get," Liz said.

Michael smiled at her, then Jovi took his hand and pointed to the bridges leading to the light house. "I see somebody, big brother!" she said.

Michael looked in that direction, and saw a few things. First thing he noticed was a mass of storm clouds that oddly seemed to stay the same distance from the mainland. He then looked at Gateon Port's rotating bridges and saw none other than Perr, whose red beanie was clearly visible. Liz led the way to the bridges, seeing Perr walk onto a pressure plate that triggered the bridge's function. Both bridges rotated so the L-shaped bridge made one path connecting to the main walkway of the city, while the other end connected to the other bridge, which was just a straight line.

Perr sighed, as if he had been working a long time, then made his way toward where the trio was waiting. When he saw them, he smiled and waved, recognizing Michael and Liz from when they were in high school together. During the Shadow Crisis ten years ago, Perr had been a part of the Kid's Grid, which had eventually turned into the news station, ONBS. Perr, however, had decided to work with his grandfather as a mechanic instead. He and the rest of the members of the Kid's Grid had been about a year ahead of Michael at Orre High School, but they only had minimal involvement with extracurriculars other than writing the school newspaper. Michael had at least been acquaintances with all of them, but they were also all too busy with other things in life to spend time together outside of school.

Perr got to Michael, then gave another sigh of relief. "Finally done with that hellish bridge fix," he said, getting a slight laugh from Liz. "So, Orison and Hanz, what brings you two out to Gateon Port?"

"We came to pick up a part for the Chamber. The lab is really busy right now," Michael said.

"Oh, right. Gramps said that someone from the HQ Lab would be by later to pick up that part," Perr said. "But…wasn't Gramps there to help?"

"No," Liz said. "Apparently he went to Dr. Kaminko's to look at some inventions. There was only a sailor in the shop…but he gave us items to evolve our Eevees, so it wasn't too bad."

Perr groaned. "Gramps, what the hell?" he asked rhetorically. "You're lucky to have a grandson like me." He then turned to Michael. "I'll get that order completely ready for you. It'll take some time, since I need to pay that guy for his time working, then chew out Gramps as much as I can for leaving the shop like that, and then finalize the paperwork."

"Got it. We're going to check out some rumors about overly aggressive Pokémon nearby," Michael said.

Perr then noticed the Snag Machine. "No…" he said in slight disbelief. "Nett and Bitt called to tell me that Cipher might be back, but I wasn't sure if it was true."

"It…unfortunately is…" Michael said. "I snagged a shadow from one right before they took my uncle…"

Perr nodded. "I saw that report from ONBS about your Uncle, but I didn't want to bring it up. Are you all holding up alright?"

Michael nodded. "The lab is more motivated than ever to finish the chamber now…and now I'm motivated to stop Cipher," he said, getting a shocked look from Liz. This was news to her, and Michael never kept secrets from anybody.

"So, you're gonna try to follow in Wes's footsteps?" Perr asked, looking at Liz. "Michael and Liz…doesn't have the same ring to it as Wes and Rui, but that's still a duo I'll put my faith in. Plus, I think your Snag Machine is pretty damn cool. Almost cooler than Wes's. If you need any help that Gramps and I can provide in the future, please let me know."

"Thanks a lot," Michael said, shaking hands with Perr before the mechanic left for the shop. Michael led the way over the bridges, but Liz now had a question in her mind.

"When were you planning on telling me about wanting to take on Cipher?" Liz asked.

Michael thought for a moment as they got to the second bridge. "I wasn't…" he said, getting shocked looks from both Jovi and Liz. "I didn't want to make you worry…" Before Liz could say anything, they came to the end of the second bridge, and they saw a man in a grey sweat suit.

"Alright! More trainers here to challenge me," he said, sounding excited. "Which one of you will take me on?"

"I will," Michael said. Now that he had at least two Pokémon, according to Orre's unspoken rules, if his opponent also had two or more Pokémon, it would automatically be a double battle. So, he got ready to send out Jolteon, and Teddiursa together. _This'll be my first time using Teddiursa…I just hope she can be controlled,_ he thought, seeming concerned.

"Jolteon, Teddiursa, come out," Michael said. The two Pokémon eyed each other, with Teddiursa looking a bit more malicious. Luckily, they didn't try to harm each other. Michael then turned on his battle monitor as the guy sent out his own two Pokémon. Both were at level 10, and one was a Taillow, while the other was the ladybug Pokémon, Ledyba. Michael heard the beeping that indicated a Shadow Pokémon, noticing the black aura around the Ledyba. _Rumors confirmed…I'll get that Taillow out of the way first. What does Teddiursa know?_

Michael looked through Teddiursa's summary, noticing a bar of purple below her stats where the experience bar should've been, but there was a white segment that expanded suddenly to just below a fifth. Additionally, under her attacks, he saw three options. _I know Lick…but what the fuck are Shadow Blitz and Shadow Mist?_

"Taillow, Quick Attack on Teddiursa; Ledyba, Shadow Blitz on Jolteon," the man said. Michael knew Quick Attack well, and Teddiursa was easily able to dodge the attack. Ledyba's attack, though, was another story. The bug-type's aura became fully visible, and it flew at Jolteon quickly. It hit hard, doing serious damage.

 _Shadow attacks have a type advantage? Is that for all types?_ Michael thought. "Jolteon, Thunder Shock on Taillow; Teddiursa, Shadow Blitz on Ledyba!" Jolteon was quick to respond, firing a bolt of lightning at the little bird Pokémon. It was a small target, but Jolteon had hit smaller opponents when he was an Eevee. The bolt hit Taillow easily, making her drop to the ground, her health hitting zero easily. _Good, she's out of the battle. Now I can focus on snagging that Ledyba._ He then watched as Teddiursa gathered her own shadowy aura, then sprinted at the bug. She leapt up to hit the flying creature, slamming into her target. Ledyba, however, seemed to be largely unaffected. The health bar showed that was the case as well. _So, Shadow attacks aren't effective against other Shadow Pokémon. That makes sense now that I think about it._

"Shadow Blitz on Jolteon again!" the man said, smirking.

"Jolteon, Sand Attack to counter, then Teddiursa use Lick!" Michael said. Teddiursa gave Michael a bit of a dirty look as Jolteon kicked up a cloud of sand and dust, getting some into Ledyba's eyes. The bug type recoiled and missed with his Shadow Blitz. That was when Teddiursa ran forward and grabbed Ledyba, pulling him down and licking his face almost creepily. The ladybug began to shiver as some static electricity could be seen around his body. Michael looked on the battle monitor, seeing that there was a yellow lightning bolt beside Ledyba's picture and health bar. _Perfect. Paralysis will make this an easy snag._

With slightly practiced ease, Michael programmed a snag while Ledyba was still shivering, and his opponent was getting a little angry. The Snag Machine began the sequence, as Michael held out his arm. The palm's emblem glowed as the ball materialized, then Michael threw the ball effortlessly. It opened in the air as the energy hand flew out and grabbed the paralyzed bug. Teddiursa got out of the way as the hand closed around Ledyba and brought it into the ball. When the Pokéball fell to the ground, it only did one long roll before snapping shut, stars spiraling out of the capsule. The battle ended there, and Michael looked at the man sympathetically as he recalled Jolteon and Teddiursa. He noticed, however that there was a maroon aura around the little bear. _Not sure what that was, but I'll have to deal with that later._ He then picked up the newly snagged Ledyba's Pokéball.

The man stepped forward with a P-DA out, getting ready to transfer the usual prize money to Michael. "Well, that was a fun match…but I'm not sure how it really ended. I thought for a second that you actually stole my Pokémon," he said with a laugh.

Michael, realizing that this probably wouldn't go over well, decided to be honest with the man. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I actually did. Whoever gave you that Pokémon conned you," he said.

The man looked confused. "Conned me? How?"

Michael sighed again. "It was a Shadow Pokémon. So, no matter how much you battled with him, your Ledyba would have never gotten any stronger. And he might have actually attacked people."

The man looked at Michael with disbelief, but Liz decided to step in. "Look, Orre might be in danger right now. Would you be willing to let us keep your Ledyba so he can help stop the problem?"

The man looked between the two teens. "Damn, you're serious," he said, giving it some thought. "If you think he can help the region, then you can keep him."

Michael nodded. "Thank you," he said. "And I'm sorry that it came to this."

The man shrugged. "It's my own fault for trusting that weird guy in a black cloak. But now I'm worried about the woman he gave that other Pokémon to. She's at the top of the lighthouse waiting for challengers too."

"Then we'll go check on her…and I might have to snag that other Pokémon too," Michael said as he led Liz and Jovi back over the straight bridge, going to the center so they could connect to the pier where the massive lighthouse stood. Michael felt…unclean now. It was one thing to snag from Cipher, who were known criminals and who were actively abusing these Pokémon. Snagging from normal people just seemed wrong. They were just as much victims as the Pokémon they were given.

"You okay?" Liz asked, deciding to wait till they got home to ask about his plans to take on Cipher.

"Yeah…I just hope this is the last normal person Cipher tricked. I don't want to feel like a thief," he said.

As he triggered the bridge's rotation, he felt Jovi's little hand grab his. "Big brother, I don't think you're being a thief," she said. "You're trying to help people, right?"

Michael looked down at Jovi's eyes. Her words seemed wise beyond her years, and she was right in a way. "Thank you, Jovi," he said, smiling at his sister as the bridge locked into place. The three of them went across the bridge, going toward the lighthouse entrance. To the right of the door, however, Michael saw what looked like three Pokéballs just sitting there. "Huh, I should probably restock on Pokéballs." he said, checking them briefly and finding that they were empty, and the capture matrices weren't registered to any trainers yet. It seemed these were just litter at the moment.

"Probably," Liz asked, silently curious how the Snag Machine worked when storing the Pokéballs. Michael tapped the balls against the node on his shoulder, letting the machine pull the Pokéballs inside instantly. "That was really cool," she said. "Makes me wish I had one of those…"

Michael looked at her sympathetically, but decided that arguing about it would be pointless. "Come on, let's find the woman with that Shadow Pokémon." Jovi led the way this time, opening the door for Liz and Michael with a smile. They all began to steadily ascend the tower, but they were in relative silence. Michael knew that Liz was angry about him not telling anybody that he intended to take on Cipher. He knew that she would probably stop him, but he also didn't want to put her in danger, and he had a strong feeling there would be danger as he worked to purify the Shadow Pokémon he caught.

They got to the top of the tower, and Jovi was breathing heavily. "Big brother," she said through gasps. "I hate stairs."

Michael and Liz both laughed, sympathetic to the little girl's exhaustion. "We'll take the elevator on the way down," Liz said. Jovi nodded and smiled. Michael, however, had noticed a very muscular, borderline Amazonian woman with short, dark hair. She was likely a bodybuilder, and she was massive for a woman. She was smirking toward them, particularly at Michael.

"Hello, you three. Let me guess. You heard the rumors about my strong Pokémon, and you want to challenge me, right?" she said

Michael nodded. "That's right," he said, deciding to use the two Shadow Pokémon he'd caught. During the climb, he'd looked at the gauges he'd seen with Teddiursa's summary, and he had begun to assume those gauges were indicating progress toward purification, likely due to feeling connected to their trainer, instead of being treated like a weapon. Therefore, battling would likely be the best method to really free them from Cipher's cruel experiments.

"Well, I got my own two Pokémon for this. You have three in total, right?" she asked.

"I do," Michael said, throwing the two Pokéballs out. "Come on out, Teddiursa and Ledyba!"

"Zubat, Poochyena, it's time for combat!" she called out. The small blue bat and grey puppy-like Pokémon came out at the same time as Teddiursa and Ledyba came out to battle. As Michael expected, the shadow monitor beeped and the screen extended, showing the Shadow Aura around Poochyena.

 _It seems the target is the Poochyena now,_ he thought before noticing Teddiursa's increasingly angered and pained expressions. _Oh, that's…probably not good._ He looked through Ledyba's summary quickly to see what attacks the bug-type could use.

"Teddiursa, Shadow Blitz on Poochyena; Ledyba, Shadow Blitz on Zubat!" Michael said.

"Zubat, use Leech Life on Teddiursa; Poochyena, Shadow Blitz on Ledyba!" the woman said. Both Teddiursa and Ledyba gathered their nearly black auras, and Ledyba flew at Zubat quickly. Teddiursa, however, had a menacing look as its aura shifted to blood red. She then turned and sprinted directly at Jovi.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked, concern clear in his voice. Jovi's eyes showed fear when the bear continued toward her, paying Michael no mind. "TEDDIURSA!" he called out. Suddenly, as if simply calling her name snapped her out of her rage, Teddiursa stopped and her expression softened. Her purification gauge also dropped significantly with the call as the red aura turned to purple, though it wasn't as dark as it usually was. As if some of Teddiursa's inner light was beginning to come through that veil of shadows.

Ledyba slammed into Zubat, who was quick to recover and bite Teddiursa to drain energy. Poochyena then took her own shot, slamming into Ledyba. Teddiursa grabbed Zubat, ripping him off her neck and slamming him onto the ground. She then turned to face Poochyena, grabbing the dark pup and licking her face the way she had with Ledyba earlier. Just like that time, Poochyena began to look dazed as her fur coursed with static.

"Ledyba, use Shadow Blitz to finish Zubat," Michael said as he started to program a snag targeting Poochyena. Ledyba moved fast, slamming into the bat just as he got off the ground again. Zubat's health dropped to zero, and he soon began to plummet to the ground. The woman quickly recalled the fainted Pokémon, but she was caught completely off guard when Michael went through the motions for a snag. As soon as the hand grabbed and pulled Poochyena inside the Pokéball, her face turned to slight anger. It almost went to blind fury when the sparks flew to indicate a capture.

Michael recalled Teddiursa and Ledyba, then turned to the fuming body builder. "Explanation. Now," she said. "I'm guessing you're with Team Snagem, or something like that."

"No," Michael said, remembering that the legendary Wes had actually once been Team Snagem's best Snagger. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but that Poochyena was a Shadow Pokémon. For your safety, and that of your future opponents, I couldn't let you keep it."

"A…Shadow Pokémon? Like from ten years ago?" she asked.

"Exactly," Liz said. "Team Snagem might still be clinging to life as a group for all we know, but Cipher is beginning to show more signs that it was just licking its wounds all this time."

 _And I'm stopping them this time_ , Michael said, trying to reaffirm his resolve. The bodybuilder sighed as she began to realize that she had been careless in accepting that Poochyena.

"Alright. Thank you for being honest with me. Please make sure she is safe," she said as Michael picked up Poochyena's Pokéball and clipped it to his own belt. He gave her a polite nod and led Jovi and Liz to the elevator in the center of the lighthouse.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the three of them arrived at the Parts Shop, seeing that Perr was just taking their order from the safe. "Perfect timing you three," he said. "I have the part ready for you."

"Oh, thank you," Michael said as he picked it up, seeing that it was the size of an American football, but it weighed about 30 pounds.

"By the way, back at the bridges you said Cipher might've been responsible for your Uncle's kidnapping, right?" Perr asked.

"At this point, I'm almost positive that Cipher was responsible for that…and they're making Shadow Pokémon again for sure," Michael said. "I just snagged two more."

"Well, damn," Perr said. Liz cleared her throat, nodding slightly to Jovi. "Oh, sorry kiddo. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," Jovi said sweetly, not really sure why Perr was apologizing, since she didn't know what 'damn' meant.

Perr then turned back to Michael. "You know, I may not be with the rest of the Kids Grid from The Under, but I can still help. Like I said earlier, any help you need, let me know. Anything to keep Orre safe," he said.

"Thanks," Michael said, shaking Perr's hand to make an informal deal. "Now, Mom has been waiting long enough for this part."

"Yeah, and the sun is setting now. We should be fine getting back, but it was still a long day," Liz said as they left the shop and went toward Michael's scooter. Before they took their seats, Michael lifted the back and placed the part inside. The girls were putting their goggles on for the ride, and as soon as they were ready, they were on the road.

* * *

When they got back to the HQ Lab, the sun had completely set. Michael pulled up to the garage, pulling into his spot and shutting off the motor. Liz got up, but she motioned for Michael to stay put. Michael felt Jovi's head against his back, and when Liz took their picture, he guessed that his sister had fallen asleep during the ride. Michael smiled and gently turned to pick her up, draping her arms over his shoulder so she could stay asleep as he stood up. Liz took the ordered part so Michael could focus on not dropping his sister while they walked inside.

Michael texted his mom quickly as they made their way inside the lab, letting her know they were home with the part, but Jovi was asleep, so they would be putting her in bed first. Luckily, they didn't have much to do. Once they got inside the residential area, they went immediately to Jovi's room and saw both Mimi and PluPlu curled up on Jovi's bed. They perked up when they smelled Jovi in the room, but stayed quiet when they saw her sleeping. Michael gently laid his sister down on her bed, then put her blankets over her. PluPlu and Mimi quickly moved up the bed and crawled under the covers with their friend, cuddling with the little girl cutely. Liz couldn't help but take another picture.

"Come on, let's get this part to the lab," Liz said, taking Michael's hand without really thinking about it. "Then we need to talk about today."

Michael knew what she wanted to discuss. "Alright…but please don't let Mom know."

"I won't," she said as they got to the elevator. "But you will tell her by tomorrow."

A few moments later, they got to Datan's office, seeing that Lily was still there, a coffee in her hands as she looked their way. "Hey, how was the trip?"

"It was…eventful," Michael said. "I can tell you more about it tomorrow morning, if you'd like."

Lily nodded. "I can't wait to hear it," she said with a smile. "How is Teddiursa's progress?"

"She's doing well, but she's no longer the only Shadow Pokémon I have now. I managed to snag both a Poochyena and a Ledyba from two random trainers. I don't think they were connected to Cipher," Michael said.

Lily looked intrigued when he said that. "That could be troubling, if Cipher is handing out Shadow Pokémon out randomly, then you'll need to snag from other people Cipher is using as pawns. It was the tactic they used during the last crisis. Although, I've had a theory for a while now: I think the Cipher of ten years ago was nothing more than a branch of the organization testing the waters in Orre. This time, though, I think they're far more organized, and…probably more lethal. It would make more sense if they were trying to keep the Shadow Pokémon for themselves." She sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "But, for Teddiursa, I was really asking about her progress towards purification."

"Oh," Michael said as he used his monitor to scan the Pokéball. "It seems that she is about halfway through that gauge. But I really don't know how to go about purifying a Shadow Pokémon when they're ready."

Lily nodded. "I figured as much. Why don't you two get some rest tonight. I'll check with some old friends to see if they can help."

"Thank you, Mom," Michael said. Lily set her coffee down and stood up. She walked to Michael and did her best to kiss his forehead, despite him now being six feet tall, compared to her five-foot-seven.

"You two have a good night," she said as she went back to her seat. She paused briefly and turned to face them. "By the way, why are you two holding hands?"

Liz and Michael both blushed, letting go of the other quickly, making Lily giggle. "Umm…where did you want the part?" Michael asked, trying to change the subject

Lily smiled. "If you don't mind, could you take it down to the Chamber's room?" she asked.

"Sounds good," Liz said, handing the part to Michael. "Since you carried Jovi inside, I let you off the hook until now."

Michael playfully groaned as they walked to the lab side of the building. They moved quickly and got to the Purify Chamber's room easily. Liz's dad saw them coming in, and smiled. "Thank you both for getting that. Please place it on that table there," he said, pointing to a table littered with bolts and smaller parts. Michael set it down gently on the table.

"It was no trouble," he said. "But, even with the lab kicking into high gear, please don't stay up too late."

Dr. Hanz smiled. "Trust me, Michael, this is nothing. When we were in college, Richard, Samuel, and I all spent entire weekends on projects, functioning perfectly on just three hours of sleep a night."

"Wow, I can't imagine Mom was okay with that," Liz said.

Dr. Hanz chuckled. "Mary and Lily both called us nerdy idiots for doing that," he said. "Anyway, the Chamber's machinery is almost done, so we should keep focusing."

"Then we won't stick around and get in the way," Michael said, seeing that Liz wanted to talk sooner rather than later. Dr. Hanz waved as they left before going back to his own task. Liz led Michael outside, not wanting to wake up Jovi if the conversation got loud, and not wanting to disturb the workers by making a scene.

"So, want to tell my why you're planning to play the hero?" Liz asked bluntly once they were a good distance from the doors to the lab, which was being covered with a tarp until repairs could be made.

Michael thought for a moment. "It's because…according to Uncle Richard, Dad was planning to do this himself. As his son, I feel like it's my job to finish what he started."

A heavy silence filled the air for a moment as Liz processed what he said. "Mom was also a part of this…just as much as your dad. You don't see me trying to play the sacrificial hero," she said in a somber tone.

"I'm not trying to be sacrificial," Michael said.

"Then why go alone?" she asked, stunning Michael for a moment.

"Because of what happened today…" he said, letting Liz see his expression, which told her that he was seriously worried about all of this. "Jovi almost got attacked by a thug, then _my_ Teddiursa went crazy and almost attacked her." Liz stayed quiet so Michael could continue. "Jovi almost got hurt twice and this was only a day trip to pick up a part order. So, what happens if it's more dangerous than that? What if I wind up going to one of Cipher's heavily guarded labs?" He sighed. "I won't put either you or her into that kind of danger…I can't lose you."

"Let me ask you the same thing," Liz said, her tone showed understanding, but disapproval. "What if you do go to some highly guarded lab under Cipher's control? What happens if you get captured while you're there alone?" Michael looked into her eyes, seeing a fiery determination mixed with fear. He also noticed tears in her eyes for the first time since her mother died. "Do you have _any idea_ what it would do to me if I lost you like that?"

Michael wasn't sure what to say. He knew that Liz cared for him, but he'd never seen this side of her. "Liz…I–" he was cut off when she cupped her hands on his cheeks and pulled him closer, shocking him more when she kissed him for a second.

"No more arguing. I'm coming with you, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," she said firmly as she pulled back from the brief kiss. She wiped her eyes quickly as she stood up, leaving a stunned Michael outside. "See you in the morning."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'm personally enjoying writing at this pace. Hopefully the quality is still getting better.**

 **Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated, since they help me improve my writing.**

 **By the way, I know I just used a punny version of one of the chapter titles in Brendan's Journey. But, it still fit.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Village of Relics 1

_The Village of Relics – Part 1_

Even though he was still in a slight daze from Liz's kiss, upon returning to his room, Michael decided to spend time reading through the binder of notes Aiden had gathered regarding Shadow Pokémon, the Snag Machine, and the Purify Chamber. Inside the binder, he saw the pages filled with the familiar handwriting of both his father, and his uncle. He took a seat at his desk, the time being 9:00pm. _I'll read through this and be sleeping by midnight,_ he thought as he turned on his desk lamp, and turned the main lights off as he read the documents, all dated for five years ago.

Re: Snag Machine: _Shadow Pokémon are the victims of criminals who use them for misdeeds. They must be taken from their evil masters, protected, and purified. The most effective means of taking such Pokémon from criminals is the Snag Machine System, developed by the collaborative efforts of Cipher and Team Snagem before the Shadow Crisis ten years ago. Of course, it is unforgiveable for a trainer to steal a Pokémon from others, but it is also the only way to save Shadow Pokémon. Due to the Snag Machine originally being designed to steal any Pokémon from trainers, we must design a way to make theft of any Pokémon if the Snag Machine is to be used, and to ensure that only Shadow Pokémon are snagged. Due to the fact that there has only been one human known to have the ability to sense a Shadow Pokémon's aura, we must develop a way to distinguish between ordinary Pokémon, and Shadow Pokémon. This will be our biggest obstacle when developing the Snag Machine. Perhaps we can work with the new battle monitoring technology developed by the Mauville Gym Leader, Wattson. If this technology was turned mobile, we might be able to develop a program to scan for a Shadow Pokémon's aura to complement the existing battle system. If this Aura Reader was paired with the existing system for the Snag Machine as a sort of roadblock, it could completely prevent the user from targeting non-Shadow Pokémon, thus diminishing the chances of misusing the Snag Machine. Despite these systems in place, though, trainers using the Snag Machine should always proceed with caution._

Michael turned to the next section, titled Re: Purification: _Once captured, Shadow Pokémon must have their hearts reopened through a process called purification, which helps return them to their natural state. The best-known method of Purification during the Shadow Crisis was to have the Shadow Pokémon with their trainer, which gives the afflicted Pokémon time to break through the wall blocking their emotions. However, when we spoke to Wes over the phone about his experience with purifying Pokémon by this method, he said that it was wildly inefficient, and that was with a total of 48 Shadow Pokémon. To make the process more difficult, Shadow Pokémon are incapable of gaining strength after being turned. He stated that the Pokémon he did raise for fighting against Cipher had, unfortunately, almost lost to the executives in Realgam Tower. Therefore, we desperately need a process to quickly, in the unfortunate event that there are ever more Shadow Pokémon than what Wes faced. Therefore, we have decided to develop a system that can purify multiple Shadow Pokémon at once. These postulations, and our studies have led to the idea of the Purify Chamber. This is a radical new concept that differs from the aforementioned normal method of purification. The approach is to place Shadow Pokémon with ordinary Pokémon to purify them naturally. A lot of time and research still needs to be committed to making this concept into a reality. We will need to build new systems, collect more data, and make innumerable adjustments to make it viable. No matter the cost, though, it will be worth it to free the hearts of those Pokémon. We definitely look forward to seeing the completion of the Purify Chamber._

Michael sighed, closing the binder, since the remainder of the pages were schematics and technical drawings that, with his limited knowledge of engineering, would be meaningless. He then saw that it was 10:45pm, realizing that he'd read much faster than expected. He leaned back, then touched the disconnection button on the Snag Machine, taking it off and placing the machine onto his deck in its capsule form. He quickly got into an old concert t-shirt from the time he and Liz went to see The Chandelures three years ago at Gateon Port. Jolteon came out of his Pokéball, sitting on the bed happily. Michael then sat beside the Lightning Pokémon, petting the Pokémon behind his ears, getting him to start purring at the affection.

"Hey, buddy," he said happily as Jolteon gave him a gentle headbutt that became a nuzzle, getting a laugh from Michael, who pet the Pokémon behind the ears, getting some purring in response. "I'm glad you're doing alright." Jolteon meowed in response, letting Michael take his shoes off and getting under the blankets before curling up beside his trainer. Michael began to pet his first Pokémon, with a sigh. "What have we gotten ourselves into, Jolteon?" he asked. "Shadow Pokémon? Cipher? This is something from the history books. Maybe…maybe we'll actually be the ones to save Orre and get put into the history books," he said. Jolteon looked up at him with tired eyes. "That…or maybe we're just in over our heads." Jolteon nuzzled closer to Michael, giving a soft sigh as he fell asleep. Michael fell asleep as well shortly after his Pokémon.

Unfortunately, Michael did not have a peaceful rest. He started seeing an ominous, black cloud darker than anything he'd ever seen before. Coming from the cloud, Michael experienced two things that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The first was a massive black form with glowing red eyes, but his efforts to identify what it was proved fruitless, no matter how much he strained to see it clearly. When the massive form faded, though, he started to hear what sounded like a little girl screaming in agony, crying for her mother to save her. Michael, not being one to let anyone, human or Pokémon, suffer, so he started to run in the direction of the voice, which was directly into the swirling black clouds. But, no matter how fast he felt he was running, the clouds just kept receding, bringing the voice with them. When the clouds vanished, Michael sensed two other presences near him. He turned, seeing Liz. "Liz?"

"Michael?" she asked at the same time. "Strange…my dreams with you in them are usually a lot more fun." She gasped and covered her mouth. "Why did I just say that?"

 _Because you're in a shared dream. Thoughts tend to manifest into speech while in dreams. I connected you two by showing you a dream I had last night,_ said a foreign voice. Liz and Michael turned to see a Gardevoir, but she looked strangely familiar, but she also seemed distressed. _I may be around the world, but I can always sense when my daughter is in pain and crying for me._ Michael began to realize just who this Gardevoir was, and his eyes went wide. _Right now, my trainer and I can't get close to Orre due to a travel restriction, so I was forced to send my consciousness out here by following my daughter's cries. I'm looking for people like my trainer and his family that I can ask for help. You two may be new trainers, but you fit that description._

"Are you…Gwen, the Hoenn Champion's Gardevoir?" Michael asked.

 _I am, but I don't have time for more questions before I have to stop. I am begging you, as a mother desperate to save her baby girl…please save Alicia,_ Gwen said, getting on her hands and knees like she was begging. With that, her voice and the scene faded, and Michael bolted upright in his bed. He panted as he saw daylight streaming into the rooms, and noticed the sweat soaking his concert shirt.

He breathed deeply, wiping the sweat from his face as he got out of bed. Jolteon mewed in concern, and Michael gave him a reassuring pet. "What was that dream?" he asked himself. Jolteon stood up and pawed at his trainer. Michael sighed. "It was only a weird dream, Jolteon. I'm sorry for worrying you." _Did Gwen really contact me like that? Or was it just a weird dream?_ He kept contemplating this as he went to shower and get dressed. He had on his normal outfit, which was mostly from Maple Apparel Outfitters, finishing it by putting the Snag Machine back on his left arm. He looked at the clock, seeing that it was only 7:00, too early for Jovi to be up. So, he walked into the Orison family kitchen, Jolteon close behind him, but he tried to stay quiet. He saw his mother sitting at their table with some coffee in-hand. "Morning, Mom," he said.

Lily turned to him with a smile, looking well-rested and clearing Michael's slight worry that she'd stayed up all night working on the chamber. "Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept pretty well," Michael said.

"Jol…" Jolteon said, urging Michael to talk about his dream last night. Michael was about to tell her, but Lily noticed the newly evolved Pokémon.

"Wait, Michael, you didn't tell me you evolved Eevee yesterday," she said excitedly, setting her coffee down and crouching down to the Lightning Pokémon's height, playfully petting behind his ear then down to the spiked fur around his neck. She knew that the species loved petting in that spot, and Jolteon's purrs showed that he was no exception.

"Sorry, I guess, with the excitement yesterday, it just kind of slipped my mind," he said, but Lily picked up on Michael's voice. He sounded exhausted today, despite that he typically could sleep through the apocalypse. Michael saw his mother's concern, so he poured his own cup of coffee, choosing to take it black as he sat down beside her. "Guess I should start from the top."

Over the course of the next half hour, Michael told his mother all the events of the day before. He told her about Zook, the mysterious Mr. Verich and his bodyguards, the two other trainers with Shadow Pokémon, and then the conversations with Perr. He took a short break to tell her about his nightmare, and the possibly shared dream. He decided to leave out his talk with Liz, and what she did before leaving him for the night.

Lily listened to Michael's story, but when he spoke about his dream, she started to look interested. When he finished, she thought for a moment before speaking. "I honestly don't know what to say. You'd probably want to talk to Liz to see if it really was a shared dream. As for the Hoenn Champion's Gardevoir, I do remember hearing a news report that her daughter was on the Libra when it went missing. I don't know of any precedents where dreams like this happened and turned out to be true. But, as a mother, I would not doubt it if she did push herself like that to save her child. Mothers have a tendency to go to extreme measures to save their babies. Lord knows I'd do the same for you and Jovi if either of you were in trouble."

Michael sighed softly, going to get some PokéChow ready for Jolteon. "There's one more thing I should tell you about," he said as he finished preparing the Pokémon's breakfast.

"I think I know what it is," she said. "You intend to take on Cipher, don't you?"

Michael set the food down for an excited Jolteon, wondering if he should risk letting the Shadow Pokémon out too. "I do," he said. "I know you're probably angry that I'm putting my life on the line now, but I know I can't just leave Pokémon to suffer like that."

Lily nodded. "I knew you would from the moment that you put on your Snag Machine on…it only became more certain when Richard was kidnapped. He even told me that the task of beating Cipher would likely fall to you if the need ever arose."

"Wait…you're okay with it?" he asked.

Lily sighed. "No...I'm not okay with it. But, I know it's necessary, and you're the only one we can trust. After all, I knew it was either going to be Sam, or you," she said. "You're too much like your father to _not_ want to help those in need." Michael looked at her, completely shocked. "Just promise me one thing…"

"What?" he asked, although he had a feeling that he knew what it was.

Lily stood and hugged Michael tightly. "Please come back home safely," she said, her concern clear as she held her son close.

"I promise I will," he said, hugging her back.

Lily then let go of her son with a slightly relieved expression. "By the way, aren't you going to feed your other Pokémon?" she asked.

Michael looked at the three Pokéballs on his waist. "After how Teddiursa almost attacked Jovi…I'm not sure if that's the best idea."  
Lily seemed sympathetic. "I know why you're worried, and it's understandable. But, you need to remember that what happened was not Teddiursa's fault. After all, it's not the Shadow Pokémon who should be feared…it's the people who turned them into living weapons that deserve fear…and disgust. The Shadow Pokémon all had their hearts and identities stolen from them in the cruelest ways possible, and for no better reason than an egomaniac wanting more power. As for the Pokémon, right now, you need to show all of them as much love and affection as you can. Help them return to the way they ought to be, and free them of their prison."

Michael couldn't help but admire his mother's wisdom and unbridled kindness. So, he poured out appropriate servings of PokéChow for his three Shadow Pokémon and set the food down before letting out the Pokémon, who seemed a bit tired, but they also seemed to have less aggressive expressions than they had yesterday.

"Good morning," Michael said to all of them with a kind smile. While he still saw no emotion behind their eyes, he could tell they were trying to greet him too. He gestured to the bowls of food for them. "You must be hungry. Have some breakfast."

Poochyena was the first to cautiously try the food, but once she tasted it, her eyes seemed to light up for a brief moment as she started to eat faster. Ledyba did the same, and while his reaction wasn't as excited as Poochyena's, the food seemed to trigger joy for him. He ate happily. When they were both finished, Michael smiled and pet both of them, even though they looked like they were about to attack his outstretched hands at first. They relaxed visibly under Michael's ministrations. When they seemed satisfied, Michael recalled them. But then he noticed Teddiursa hadn't even touched more than a piece of her food.

"Hey, are you okay? Do you not like the food?" Michael asked, hoping she sensed that he was concerned for her sake. The bear, however, seemed to show little to no reaction,

"Wait, I think I might know what will help," Lily said. She went into the cupboards, catching Teddiursa's attention. When the little bear saw that Lily had a jar of honey, though, her eyes lit up more than Michael had ever seen from the Pokémon. Lily then drizzled golden honey onto Teddiursa's food, making the bear's eyes light up more. As soon as Lily was finished, Teddiursa began to almost inhale the food, smiling with as much joy as she could. Yet, Michael could still see there was something holding back that last bit of emotion for Teddiursa. Just as he thought to check her heart gauge, his monitor beeped softly, and the screen extended to show the bear Pokémon's heart gauge. It was now all white, and seemed to be glowing as the screen typed out _Teddiursa is now able to be purified_.

 _From honey? Maybe it was her favorite food before she became a Shadow Pokémon,_ Michael thought.

"Knew it!" Lily said with a smile, seeing Teddiursa now starting to act cutely, almost climbing up her nightgown to beg for more honey. Lily knelt down for the Pokémon and gave her the rest of the jar. "Teddiursas are known to adore honey. I knew that would make her happy."

Michael smiled and knelt to pet the bear Pokémon. "Then I'll be sure to give her all the honey she can handle to celebrate when she's purified."

"Well, if she's ready, then I know where you should go," Lily said. "Go to Agate Village, and meet with Eagun. He's an old family friend who helped with the last crisis, and he offered to help again when I called him this morning."

"So, I'll be using the method that Wes used until the Chamber is finished?" Michael asked rhetorically. He then heard a small yawn behind him, letting them know Jovi was awake.

"Where is big brother going?" the little girl asked as she rubbed her eye tiredly.

"I'm just going to Agate Village," he said. Jovi's smile, while it would normally brighten his day, made him sigh. He knew what was coming next.

"Can I come?" she asked excitedly.

Under normal circumstances, Michael would've loved to bring Jovi with him. But their trip to Gateon Port yesterday had shown him that his trips for the time being would be the furthest thing from normal. He looked Jovi directly in the eye for this, and his heart sank when her expression showed that she realized what he would say.

"I'm sorry, Jovi. For the time being, I can't bring you with me on any of my trips," he said. Jovi looked sad now, but Michael continued, and he was completely honest with her. "Jovi, I'm terrified of what might be coming. If you were hurt, or, Arceus forbid, killed…I could never forgive myself." Jovi had tears in her eyes now. But it wasn't from sadness at not being able to be with her brother. She was scared for him now too. She just leapt forward and hugged Michael tightly. He gave her a kiss on the cheek to reassure her that he would be okay.

"Please come home safely, big brother," she said, trying not to cry more.

"I promise," he said as he pulled away to smile at Jovi.

Lily smiled at Michael's maturity, and his concern for his sister. _Sam, whatever happens, please keep our boy safe as best you can,_ she thought.

"Come on, I'll make you some breakfast," he said, seeing Jovi's eyes light up and she went to the table with Mimi and PluPlu beside her. Michael recalled Teddiursa before going to get a pan. It took him some time, but he managed to make Jovi's favorite breakfast: a waffle with peanut butter and banana's foster. When he set it in front of Jovi, her eyes and smile grew excitedly. He knew he was forgiven. He then went to make himself an omelet, while Lily made herself a parfait. His mother just smiled softly at Michael's selflessness with Jovi. Still, her pride in her son and her brave face didn't make her real feelings about Michael challenging Cipher go away.

 _Please, Arceus, don't let him get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if he did,_ she thought.

* * *

An hour later, Michael and Liz were both on the scooter, and Michael was programming the GPS. Lily and Dr. Hanz were both there too, seeing their kids off. "You two be careful, and call to let us know when you get there safely," Lily said.

"We will, I promise," Liz said. Michael finalized the address, and looked up confidently to reassure his mother that everything would be alright.

"And we promise we won't take any unnecessary risks," Michael said. Lily and Dr. Hanz nodded their approval. As Michael started the engine up, Lily mouthed 'I Love You.' He mouthed the same thing back to her and they sped off.

"Alright, let's go get the chamber finished," Lily said once the sound of the motor faded in the distance.

* * *

Michael drove for almost an hour and a half, stopping for a brief water break with Liz along the way, before they arrived. When they got there, though, the beauty before them took their breath away. If paradise truly existed, this lush, green oasis town was it, especially with the four beautiful waterfalls around the town. "No wonder this is a retirement village," he said. His attention was then captured by a massive tree in the center of town, with a house almost inside the trunk. It was as if the tree grew around the house.

"Yeah, it's so beautiful. I don't even see a piece of litter anywhere," Liz said with just as much awe. "The air even tastes great here."

"That's something you can't say about anywhere else in Orre," Michael said. As they walked along the wooden bridge to enter the town, though, Michael did see another pile of three Pokéballs just sitting on the ground. Like in Gateon, he checked if they belonged to anybody before putting them into the Snag Machine. "A pretty cool welcoming gift," he said to Liz. She just rolled her eyes.

"Did your mom tell you where Eagun lived specifically?" Liz asked.

"She didn't," Michael said. "But I'm sure we can explore the town for a little bit to find out."

"Sure, we'll make a date of it," Liz said, half-joking.

Michael looked at her with a slight blush. "Yeah, I was gonna ask you about what happened last night," he said as they walked. "Was…there anything more to that than persuasion?"

Liz stopped for a moment. "You…think that I'd play with your emotions like that?"

Michael looked at her, starting to panic when he realized what he'd said. "N-no, I was just wondering if…well…was it meant to be platonic, or…"

Liz's expression softened. Of course, Michael wasn't the type to think badly of his best friend. "It…it depends," she said with a blush. "Did you…want it to be more than just platonic?"

Michael began to blush, his mind starting to lose function at the realization that Liz liked him the way he liked her. He was about to respond when they were interrupted by an older man in an Alolan shirt and shorts. He smiled at them. "Welcome to Agate Village," he said. "It's nice to see new faces here. However, I have a request for you two: would either of you like to battle?"

Michael looked at Liz, and she gestured for him to go ahead. "Perfect," he said. "I needed to work with Poochyena and Ledyba to purify them anyway."

The old man smiled and took out two Pokéballs. "I'll be using a Machop and a Togepi," he said with an energetic smile. Michael sent out the two Shadow Pokémon, wondering if the man would be concerned about them. To his surprise, the man just smiled. "Seems I was right. Eagun told all the trainers in this village that a young man would be coming to purify some Shadow Pokémon. He told us to battle with you if we saw you today," he then tossed out his Machop and Togepi. "Just know that these battles will be hard fought in order to improve your bond with your Pokémon. And Eagun told us to give him at least three hours to prepare everything. It's been just under an hour since then. Think you can withstand two hours of battling?"

Michael's smile told the old man that he would be just fine as the battle commenced.

* * *

 _ **2 hours later**_

After meeting the old man, Michael and Liz had explored and battled through the entirety of the small village. In total, Michael battled and defeated five trainers. They had also met a man who gave them a Lum Berry his Taillow had brought him earlier in the day, and they finished by going into a root cave where they met an elderly woman who taught Jolteon Thunder Wave for free. She said that, if Eagun had reason to believe that Michael would be worthy of using the town's relic, then she would help him in any way she could.

After thanking the elderly woman profusely, Michael and Liz made their way to the center of town, stopping for lunch at what Liz thought was the cutest café she'd ever seen. They both got a coffee and a sandwich, both of which tasted incredible. They also took the time to feed their Pokémon. Michael made sure to get honey for Teddiursa, and Liz's laugh upon seeing the bear's excitement made him smile wider. Sylveon and Jolteon both seemed to blush with every glance at each other as they ate. And, to brighten the day even more, Poochyena and Ledyba both seemed to be improving and opening up to the other Pokémon. It was as if they were experiencing fun for the first time in their lives earlier, and they didn't know how to react at first. Now, they were warming up to their new family, and they seemed as genuinely happy as they could with their minds having been bent by Cipher. Teddiursa even crawled up into Liz's lap, cuddling up with the girl. Liz smiled softly, petting the little bear lovingly. Michael couldn't help but feel like the two had a strong bond already.

"By the way, Liz," he started. She looked at him, silently asking him to proceed. "Did…you have a weird dream last night?"

Her eyes lit up. "I was hoping to ask you that," she said as she described the dream Michael had perfectly, but from her perspective. She even talked about the meeting with Gwen.

"Seems it really was a shared dream," he said. "That, paired with the rumors about Gwen's daughter being on the Libra…do you think that was really her?"

Liz was quiet with thought for a moment. "I can't think of any other explanations," she said. "But do you think it really matters? You were already planning to save every Shadow Pokémon in existence." Michael smiled, wanting to hold her hand, but his apprehension got the better of him.

Even though they were hoping to have more time to relax, Michael needed to help his Shadow Pokémon return to their natural state. So, with Michael having paid when they got their food, they recalled the Pokémon, and made their way toward the house inside the tree, which Agate's residents said belonged to Eagun and his wife, Beluh.

Luckily, the destination was only a short distance from the café. When they got to the door, Liz knocked for them, and they heard an elderly woman inside. "Come in." Michael opened the door, and they walked inside. They wiped their feet on the welcome mat before going into the living room. There, they saw woman, who seemed to be almost 90. "Oh, hello there. You two must be Michael and Liz. Lily called to let us know you were coming. I'm Beluh."

The home was modestly decorated, and Beluh gave both Michael and Liz a sense that they were visiting grandparents. Michael stepped forward and shook Beluh's hand firmly, but gently. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said happily before looking around. "Although, I am curious about where Eagun is."

Beluh laughed heartily, almost as if Michael had told a joke. "Oh, you should've seen his youthful vigor when Lily called. One word about Shadow Pokémon, and he was on his feet, saying 'It seems my services are required,' and he ran out to the village shrine faster than I've seen him move in decades," she said, her smile telling Michael and Liz that she was laughing out of love for her husband. "And I would know, we've been married for almost 75 years now," she said happily.

Liz looked at Michael from behind when she heard Beluh say that. _I wonder…will we eventually be together like Beluh and her husband? Would we be as happy together as they are?_

Before her train of thought could continue, the door opened and an old man who looked like Dumbledore mixed with Gandalf entered the room. He didn't seem to notice Michael and Liz in his excited haste.

"Beluh, good news! Everything is ready for our guests when they arrive," he said with a happy smile that made his long beard shift slightly. That was when he seemed to notice the two teens in front of him. "Oh, I didn't see you two there."

Beluh seemed to giggle slightly. "Welcome home, dear. It seems that our guests arrived just before you did," she said with a smile.

Eagun began to laugh both at his haste. "My apologies. You two must be Liz and Michael," he said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Liz shook his hand first, followed by Michael.

"It's great to meet you too," Michael said, giving a firm handshake. That firmness was returned equally from Eagun's surprisingly strong hands.

"And that's a nice, firm grip you have there, young Mr. Orison," he said. "But, as much as I would like to exchange pleasantries, time can be very important when Shadow Pokémon are involved. How close are your Pokémon to their final lock, so to speak?"

"Teddiursa is ready to be purified, and both Poochyena and Ledyba are probably only two or three battles away from being ready," he said.

"And you've only been with them two days at most, right?" Eagun asked. Michael nodded. "Seems there's two possibilities, and they could overlap here. The first is that these Pokémon were only recently turned into Shadow Pokémon, so their block from their emotions is weaker. The other is that you have an inherent gift for bonding on a deep level with your Pokémon. Wes was similar in that regard, but…even he struggled to purify the earlier Shadow Pokémon he snagged." Eagun then began to stroke his beard thoughtfully. After a second, he mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "Maybe he'll prove to be even better at bonding his Pokémon than Wes…"

"Sir?" Michael asked.

Eagun looked up. "Sorry, got lost in thought there. Anyway, what I was going to say was that there is a cave with trainers who are ready to help you purify any Shadows you have. It's near the Pokémon Center," he said.

"Oh, you mean the cave with a guard out front?" Liz asked.

"That's the one," he said. "You two must have been exploring a lot before coming here. Hopefully the other villagers weren't too strong for you." Michael smiled at the jest. "Now, I'll go and do the final preparations for the ceremony. Come to the cave when you're ready. I'll be waiting where purifications are done." With a burst of what should have been unnatural energy in a 90-year-old man, Eagun sprinted out the door again. One thing that Michael did notice, however, was the faint scent of ozone. It reminded him of Jolteon's scent upon evolving.

 _He must train an electric type,_ Michael thought.

Beluh was laughing cheerfully. "He's always been such a lively soul. You two may want to follow him."

Liz started to laugh with Beluh, smiling at how close she and Eagun were. "Alright. And thank you so much for your hospitality," they both said together. Beluh smiled knowingly and waved as they left.

 _Those two are going to be so happy when they get married,_ she thought. _They're so much like Eagun and I were at their age._

* * *

 **And here is my first two-part chapter in this story. I've resolved to not put any gargantuan chapters in here, so I can keep the chapters short and easy to digest.**

 **Next chapter, Michael battles his way to the Relic that the villagers seem to all know of (and probably those readers who have played XD as well), and the first three purifications happen.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it. As always, I welcome reviews, so please let me know what you think.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	7. Chapter 7 - The Village of Relics 2

_The Village of Relics Part 2_

After leaving Eagun's and Beluh's home, Liz was thinking about how close the elderly couple was with each other. _I want that kind of relationship…where we love each other no matter how long we live,_ she looked at Michael, and she began to gather her resolve. _Maybe…maybe I need to be bolder with him_. Gently, she started to reach out her hand, wanting to hold hands with him on the way there, but she recoiled her hand when it was about to touch his left hand. _I won't really feel his hand like that. But I can't switch sides or I'll look weird._ She started screaming internally at how frustrating the whole situation she had put herself into was. After mentally cursing her hesitation for ten minutes, Liz lost her chance, making her mental screams feel nearly deafening as they arrived at the cave.

The guard there waved to them. "Hello, Michael and Liz!" he said. "Eagun told me that you were to be permitted entrance now. Go and help those Pokémon of yours."

"Thank you," Michael said. "And I promise I will."

They went inside and instantly were blown away by the beautiful, and surprisingly well-lit interior. It looked like it was more of a root cavern than a cavern of rocks. There even seemed to be sunlight streaming in from multiple openings around the cave. When they entered, though, they were met by a guy who looked to be in his twenties, and he had a fire in his eyes that said he wanted to battle. Michael smirked confidently.

"Welcome, you two," he said. "As per Eagun's instructions, us four trainers are ready to battle you and help purify those three Shadow Pokémon of yours."

"Great," Michael said as he took out Poochyena's and Ledyba's Pokéballs. "My Teddiursa is ready to be purified now, so I'll be using my other two." He sent out the dark-type puppy, and the ladybug, activating his battle monitor in one swift motion.

"Show me what you got," the other guy said as he sent out a Numel, and a Taillow. "Roy, Jet, let's battle!"

"Oh, you give your Pokémon nicknames?" Liz asked.

"Actually, no," he said. "All Pokémon have names given to them by their parents at birth, much like humans."

"Really?" Michael asked with interest. "I had no idea…how did you find out their names?"

"There are two methods. The most common is to speak to a Name Reader. They're found around the world, and they seem to be able to understand a Pokémon's speech. They ask, and the Pokémon tell them. The other, exceptionally rare option is to acquire a Pokémon with the telepathy who can find out names the same way. The best example that I know of is Gwen of Hoenn…and her daughter, Alicia," he said.

"Well, do you happen to know where the Name Rater is?" Michael asked. "I'll pay him a visit once I purify my Pokémon."

"I'll tell you, only if you manage to beat me," the guide said.

"Then, I'll do just that," Michael said, seeing that Ledyba had managed to add Aerial Ace and Supersonic to his repertoire, and Poochyena had added Poison Fang and Howl to hers. "Ledyba, use Aerial Ace on Jet to start; Poochyena, use Poison Fang on Numel."

"Jet, counter with Peck!" the guide said. "Roy, use Ember on Poochyena!"

Ledyba dove sharply at the ground, pulling up just in time to angle himself for the Taillow. Unfortunately, the little bird was ready. It flew up, and rapidly started to peck at Ledyba. They collided, but Ledyba seemed to take a little more of the damage. As Poochyena ran at the Numel, her teeth began to ooze with a toxin as she leapt at the fire type. She was met with an almost casual barrage of small flames. That counter didn't go over well with Poochyena as her aura seemed to flare and turn red like Teddiursa's had been at Gateon Port. She spat out the toxins then allowed her aura to manifest. She rocketed forward, slamming into Roy at full force.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked, worried for his Pokémon.

"It looks like Hyper Mode," the guide said. "You need to get her out of it, or her aura will hurt her!"

Michael looked unsure. _I called out to Teddiursa last time and she seemed to snap out of it,_ he thought. _But will that work on these two?_ He then saw Poochyena's aura grow in size. Ledyba looked over and her aura flickered, as if starting to feed off the rage manifesting from Poochyena. The puppy then leapt forward, looking like she was about to turn feral.

"Just call to her. Using the species name is enough," he said. "As Shadow Pokémon, they are unable to recall their real names, or anything about their past. The species name is the best you can use now. But the Pokémon needs to hear your emotions for this to work."

Michael, still worried that this overly simple method would work, let his concern for his Pokémon's wellbeing flow freely. "Poochyena, please stop!" he called out. She seemed to hear him calling out, as her expression turned to shock, then what could only be described as shame. While she still carried out her Shadow Blitz against Numel, but her ferocity had lessened significantly compared to mere seconds ago. That's when Michael noticed that there was a list of prompts on his monitor. _Poochyena is no longer in_ _ **Reverse**_ _Mode_ , he thought as he saw that Numel's health had hit zero. _The guide said Hyper Mode…are they the same thing?_

"Well, that was well done," the guide said. "But I still have Jet out. Quick Attack on Poochyena!"

"Poochyena, counter with Poison Fang!" Michael said. That's when he noticed the relatively timid look on Poochyena's face. He looked at her heart gauge and saw that it was just about to completely turn white. _Is this her usual personality? Maybe she doesn't like battling._ Despite her hesitance, the puppy still leapt forward and clamped down on Jet's wing. She then flipped in the air to throw the bird to the ground. Ledyba took an opening and hit her mark with an Aerial Ace to finish the job. Jet had passed out before he hit the ground.

The guide recalled Jet, and nodded to Michael respectfully. "That was a beautiful battle," he said. "You have three other guides ahead before Eagun will grant you entrance to the shrine."

"Thanks," Michael said with a smile as he recalled Poochyena, and Ledyba. "But, I have a question."

"Go ahead," he said.

"Earlier, when Poochyena lost control, you said it was Hyper Mode," Michael said. He scrolled through the prompt history in his battle monitor and showed it to the guide. "But, the monitor said Reverse Mode."

The guide's eyes went wide. "It looked like Hyper Mode that the Shadow Pokémon ten years ago experienced," he said. "If I had to guess, Cipher likely refined Hyper Mode and turned it into a method for Shadow Pokémon to resist purification. They probably have other goals in mind if this is how they adapted their Shadow Pokémon."

"Other goals?" Michael asked.

"Yeah," the guide said grimly. "If I had to guess from the name, it probably halts or reverses the purification process."

"I see…" Michael said. "Seems that Cipher's been adapting in these ten years."

"Let Eagun know about that when you get the chance," he said.

"We will," Liz said happily, yet with determination.

Michael and Liz both continued through the cavern, battling three more guides. The last one had rewarded Michael with a Cologne Case, made to hold massage oils which had been useful in purifying Shadow Pokémon in the past. During the battles, however, Michael had slowly started realizing that neither Ledyba nor Poochyena really enjoyed battling. He'd also started to notice that Teddiursa seemed to be getting closer with Liz than with him. _Well, wherever they're happiest, I won't be mad at them,_ he thought. _I'll help purify the Pokémon, but where they go after they're free is up to them._ The only problem he foresaw was that he would have only one Pokémon who enjoyed battle if those three all felt the same way.

After making a short backtrack to the Pokémon Center, Michael and Liz made their way through the cavern again, this time going through to the other end of the tunnel. As they exited into the clearing ahead, both Michael and Liz gasped at the beauty before them. The forest around them was the most lush, green place they'd ever seen, as if it were maintained by a deity.

"This is incredible," Michael said as they walked along the small stone walkway, which was the only man-made structure anywhere in sight. At the end of the walkway, there was a circular platform around a single pillar of rock which radiated a calming power like nothing they'd ever felt before.

"Welcome, Mr. Orison, and Miss Hanz," Eagun said as he approached them, a Pikachu at his side. "This is the Relic Forest, home of the Relic Stone and the guardians of this town."

"Guardians?" Liz asked.

"Their identities shall remain secret until Michael has passed a final test," Eagun said with a stern expression. "And that test is me."

Michael's eyes went wide, remembering how many of the guides said Eagun had been a legendary trainer back in his time. Would he really be able to win against such a skilled opponent?

"Don't be worried, Michael," Eagun said. "For this test, I will not be using the Pikachu I traveled with when I was your age. I will be using the grandchild of my Pikachu, who is at about the same level of strength as your current team."

Michael sighed. "You scared me for a second there. I assumed I'd be up against a level 100…" he chuckled softly.

Eagun smiled confidently. "Then, I'd like to see your skill as a trainer. Show me if you have the ability to beat Cipher," he said.

Michael smirked and sent out Jolteon and Teddiursa. "You sure you want to do a two-on-one?"

Eagun smirked back. "Absolutely," he said as Michael activated his Battle Monitor. Eagun, however, didn't bother with one. "You ready?"

"Yeah…but aren't you going to use a monitor?" Michael asked.

"Why would I need one? I know my Pokémon, their attacks, how much they can take, and how strong their attacks are," he said. "Besides, it's my understanding that those devices can be inaccurate at times."

Michael looked surprised at the claim. "That…makes sense," he said. "Maybe I should only use it when battling Cipher, so I know when there's a Shadow Pokémon." He reached up and turned off the monitor for now. "I guess this leads to stronger bonds with Pokémon anyway."

Eagun smiled. "Let's see how it works for you. Volt, use Thunderbolt on Teddiursa!" Michael's eyes went wide, remembering that the Pikachu was only at level 12. Thunderbolt wasn't naturally learned by Pikachu until about level 42.

"Jolteon, take that Thunderbolt!" Michael said. He knew that Jolteon had the Volt Absorb ability, which would render the Thunderbolt ineffective. "Teddiursa, use Metal Claw!"

Jolteon leapt into the path of the brightly-glowing Thunderbolt, the lightning striking him, but only causing his fur to course briefly with the electricity as it glowed. When the glowing faded, Jolteon looked like he was smirking confidently. Pikachu seemed to huff at the Lightning Pokémon before noticing Teddiursa charging at him. She had her claws raised, letting their metallic gleam catch the light as she started to swing fast. Pikachu began to duck, jump, and lean out of the way of each swing, displaying the natural speed of his species. Jolteon, however, took that chance to start a Quick Attack. He moved in an arc, catching Teddiursa's eye as he came around. Pikachu's focus on dodging Teddiursa's attack caused him to miss the confident smirk the bear was displaying prominently. Just as Jolteon was about to hit, Teddiursa moved to the side and stopped her assault to let the yellow bullet hit their target.

Volt cried out at the impact, but he quickly rolled out of the way. He then leapt forward with his own Quick Attack. He slammed into Teddiursa, knocking her back. "Great job, Volt. Use Iron Tail on Jolteon!" Eagun called out. As Jolteon came back around to the main battlefield, Volt's tail began to glow metallically. The Pikachu then leapt forward with the momentum of his Quick Attack. He did a quick flip to bring his tail down directly where Jolteon was. With no time to dodge, the Iron Tail slapped down onto Jolteon's forehead, making the Pokémon yelp as he hit the ground and rolled. The attack looked painful, but Michael knew Jolteon still had more fight in him.

Jolteon just shook his head to clear a daze as he got to his feet, showing that, while it had hurt, Iron Tail didn't take him out of the fight. His defiant look told all those present that much. Jolteon then started firing off Thunder Shocks. Volt seemed to easily dodge the electricity, but Jolteon's attacks were meant to herd the Pikachu to where he and Teddiursa wanted him. Teddiursa took that opportunity to gather the energy for a Shadow Blitz, even though she was really starting to dislike the horrid attack. She sprinted forward and tackled Volt as the last Thunder Shock hit the ground. Michael then saw the Pikachu staggering tiredly. Teddiursa then gave the electric mouse a normal punch to finish the battle. Surely enough, that proved to be the finishing attack.

"Oh-ho, that was a fantastic show of teamwork and trust. The fact that you've helped forge that bond between Jolteon and Teddiursa in such a short time is impressive…even more so when considering that Teddiursa is still a Shadow Pokémon," Eagun said with an expression of amazement. "I don't even think Wes had that kind of ability when he was facing Cipher. And I would know. My granddaughter told me all about it," he said.

"Your granddaughter?" Michael asked, thinking for a moment.

"Wait…I can't believe I forgot this," Liz said. "You're Rui's grandfather!"

Eagun smiled proudly. "Correct," he said. "And now an in-law to Wes, as of about one year ago."

"Aww, and how are they getting along?" Liz asked, always having been a sucker for newly-wed stories.

"They are certainly doing well. They're still traveling the world, and they're in Unova last I heard. I get the feeling that Wes is trying to secure a well-paying position before they start their own family."

"Makes sense," Michael said with a smile, not seeing the longing look Liz was giving him from behind.

 _Perr said we would be like Wes and Rui…maybe we can get to that type of relationship someday,_ Liz thought

"Now, let's start the purification. Are all your Shadow Pokémon ready to be purified?" Eagun asked.

"They certainly are," Michael said happily.

"Then the power of both Celebi and Shaymin that has been infused into the Relic Stone will cleanse them of the shadows and return them to their natural state of being," Eagun said. "Let's start with Teddiursa, since she's out of her Pokéball." Michael nodded as he walked with the little bear toward the stone pillar. "Now, both of you, place your hands on the pillar at the same time."

Teddiursa watched Michael and followed his movements. They both touched the stone simultaneously, causing a warm and soothing green energy to pour and radiate out from the stone. Michael then saw as the green energy began to swirl around Teddiursa. Then, similar to when the Eevees evolved in Gateon Port, the energy flew inside the bear's body, forcing out all the remaining shadow energy from Teddiursa. The Pokémon seemed to be in a daze as the green energy spiraled out of her like electrons around an atom before bursting out from their orbit. The energy faded away and Teddiursa immediately began to blink, looking around with slight confusion.

"Ursa?" she said cutely, only for her to see Liz. Her eyes suddenly lit up brightly, and she smiled wider than Michael had ever seen. She immediately stood up and began running toward Liz excitedly.

Liz smiled, putting her hands over her mouth as she seemed to be crying with happiness. She crouched down as the little bear leapt up and into her arms as if they were made for each other. Both of them smiled happily, with Liz laughing happily. "Sorry Michael, I think she wants to stay with me instead."

Michael smiled as he crouched beside Liz, petting Teddiursa behind her ears. "Is that true, Teddiursa?" he asked, already having a feeling what she would say. The bear's happy nodding and cooing was all he needed to hear. "Then, when we get back to the Pokémon Center, I'll have your Pokéball reassigned to Liz." He smiled happily as the little bear cuddled up with Liz. He sighed, having hoped to raise the Teddiursa himself, but he would rather see the Shadow Pokémon really happy with somebody else, than moderately happy with him.

He stood up and took out Poochyena's Pokéball. "Well, let's get these other two purified," he said with a smile. The dark puppy came out of her Pokéball and happily walked with Michael to the pillar. The two touched the pillar together, and the green light poured out of the stone. Once again, the energy swirled into the Pokémon, expelling all the remaining shadow energy from her body. The green, cleansing aura swirled around and flew out from her body. The little dog seemed to come out of her daze as she looked around. She then saw Michael and approached timidly, with her tail wagging slightly as she sniffed at her trainer. Michael crouched down to her height, holding out his right hand for her to smell.

Poochyena leaned in as her tail started to wag faster as she used her muzzle to nudge his hand to get him to pet her. Michael smiled and pet the little dog, who quickly seemed to brighten up. She moved closer and put her paws onto his bent knees, eagerly trying to lick his face. Michael started laughing at the affections she was giving him, but he could also tell with certainty that she wasn't a battler. She was a lover, like a pet. _I think Jovi would love having a Poochyena._

Sure enough, Poochyena then scampered over to Liz and Teddiursa happily, yipping playfully as she got into a play-bow, her tail wagging excitedly. Teddiursa, seeming to now recognize the Poochyena as a friend, jumped down and started a game of chase. Liz, Michael, and Eagun all began to laugh at the cute display. Jolteon, who was still outside his Pokéball, yipped happily and joined in with the fun. As if sensing the joy, Sylveon let herself out of her Pokéball and jumped into the fun. Volt was close behind Sylveon. This made Michael focus on getting Ledyba purified immediately. Without another word, he sent out the ladybug, following the ritual again. Once again, the swirling green energy purged the shadow from the Pokémon before pulsing outward. Ledyba's daze was a bit shorter than Poochyena's and his expression immediately brightened as he buzzed over to Michael. He used all six of his legs to hug around the red-haired trainer. However, Michael could still tell that this Pokémon was more a lover than a fighter. _Seems the Lab is about to get a lot more Pokémon for friends there,_ he thought. _Still, if Jolteon is the only Pokémon I have for battling, I'm not sure if I'll be able to win against Cipher._

Ledyba's hug only lasted a few more moments before he noticed the fun going on with the other Pokémon. He flew up and over to the others, joining in with their game. That's when Michael began to realize something. The sheer, unbridled joy that was radiating from the newly purified Pokémon truly made him happier. _If this is what their personalities were before Cipher got to them…_ His expression changed to fury, directed at Cipher. _There have been some seriously cruel organizations in the world. But…what Cipher is doing…it's…it's unforgiveable!_

Eagun approached Michael. "I see that you're comprehending what kind of people are in Cipher…if you can even call them people," the sage of Agate said. "They think that forcing Pokémon to fight without emotion is the key to world domination. Frankly, I would love to see just how badly they would lose to a trainer who has forged true strength with their Pokémon through love and trust."

"I agree," Michael said. "Part of me wonders whether Cipher would last a second if one of the regional champions came to Orre."

"My boy," Eagun said. "That's precisely why they timed their efforts as they have, if I had to guess. They know that they would be crushed and humiliated if even an Elite Four member from any region had been here when they started this crisis."

Michael nodded. "And with all travel blocked to or from Orre during the regional state of emergency, that means we'll need a trainer as strong as them to come from home…and Wes is in Unova right now."

"Did you already forget?" Eagun said to Michael. "I think you're truly able to defeat Cipher…but you'll need to gain the required strength faster than any trainer in history."

Michael looked at Eagun with a look of uncertainty. "Then…will I actually be able to help this region?"

Eagun looked at him with some regret. "Having the ability to win is, unfortunately, no guarantee of victory. But, keep in mind that there are times when your heart can win where strength alone cannot. Perhaps there will be a time when your love for your Pokémon will win out over Cipher's manipulation and cruel subjugation of theirs."

Michael nodded, but now he was at a loss. _Where will I go next? I have no clue where to even start…_

* * *

"Go, to Hell," Dr. Krane said through bloodied teeth and a swollen cheek. He was tied to a chair in a bright white cell that had lights on at all times in order to prevent him from getting enough sleep. In the two days he'd been here, he had been beaten and tortured to convince him to cooperate with Cipher's plans to create an army of what they called the ultimate Shadow Pokémon.

"Oh, you are so going to regret refusing me again," Lovrina said, her annoyingly bubbly voice and mannerisms having now taken a venomous tone. "Naps, let him have some more."

Naps nodded, sighing mentally as he punched Dr. Krane across the face followed by a quick jab to the gut. "Just comply," he said with a growling whisper. "This will keep going if you don't."

Dr. Krane glared at him through the eye that wasn't swollen shut. "Why would I comply with you subhuman bastards?" he asked.

Naps just sighed. "Lovrina, I think this is enough for the day. We need him alive and conscious if he's to be of any use to us," he said.

"Excuse me, Naps? Did you, like, just talk back to me? Hit him again!" Lovrina said angrily.

"Actually, you WILL cease this nonsense," said a soothing, yet terrifyingly cold voice. "And you will come upstairs so we may speak in private." Unfortunately, Richard's vision was blurred and unfocused the moment before he passed out from the assault. The only thing he saw before blacking out was a look of fear on Lovrina's face.

"Y-yes sir, Master Greevil," she said.

"Good. Your failure with XD001 has already put your job in jeopardy. It would be a shame if your life was forfeit for disobeying me now," the voice said, followed by the sound of a small cane and three sets of footsteps going toward the elevator. "Be up in the conference room in the next ten minutes, or my mercy will have run out."

"S-sir, m-may I at least have a few extra minutes to change?" she asked. "I…got some of Dr. Krane's blood on my clothes."

"Fine," Greevil said. "You may have twenty minutes at most. If you make me wait a second longer, I will feed your corpse to my Rhyperior."

Naps stayed silent through the whole ordeal, knowing that Lovrina had lied about having blood on her clothes, but, given that a dark spot had formed in her leggings when the Grand Master threatened her life. After all, the Grand Master had that effect on his subordinates when he was angry.

* * *

 **And that's it for this chapter. I promise the slower pace here will not become too extreme. I am just traveling at the moment for vacation, so I will take a little longer than normal for these chapters. Luckily, it will only last about a month.**

 **Let me know what you think of the chapter in a review. I welcome criticism.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	8. Chapter 8 - Mt Battle

_Mt. Battle_

After spending the night at Agate Village's Pokémon Center, where Michael had gotten Teddiursa's Pokéball reassigned to Liz's trainer ID, they were invited to Eagun's house. Michael and Liz were immediately treated to some of the best tea they'd ever tasted, along with freshly baked blueberry muffins. According to Beluh, the tea was brewed from freshly picked black tea leaves, and the muffins were made with homegrown blueberries and all-natural flour. In short, it was phenomenal in every sense of the word.

"Well, this has been really nice," Michael said as they all finished their tea. "But, Eagun, I have no idea where I should be going now."

"Oh, dear, didn't you tell them about Vander?" Beluh said.

"No, my mistake. I had intended to bring that up yesterday," Eagun said. "But the excitement made me forget what I wanted to tell them."

Michael perked up as Eagun said that. "Who's Vander?"

"He's the first area leader for Mt. Battle, the battle facility on the tallest of the Orre Mountains," Eagun said. "Vander contacted me the day before you two came, and he told me that he noticed a lot of weird activity in the desert to the southeast."

"Really? Did he give you a specific location?" Michael asked.

"No, but I'm sure Vander would tell you. He did help Wes during his time," Eagun said.

"Hmm, seems like Mt. Battle is our next destination," Liz said with a smile.

"Right, but I'd like to go to the Name Rater before we go," Michael said. "I'd like to learn the names of our Pokémon."

"Seems you now have a plan," Beluh said kindly as she finished her tea. "I hope to hear of success in your endeavors."

"Thank you, ma'am," Liz said happily as she and Michael began to stand so they could be on their way. "We'll let you both know if anything new comes up."

"And, Michael, you may come to use the Relic Stone any time you need it," Eagun said. "It seems that the guardians truly enjoyed seeing the happiness your Pokémon displayed when they were purified, and they now want to see more of it."

"Thank you, sir," Michael said politely as he and Liz waved happily as they went to the door. "I promise we will stop Cipher." Eagun's smile seemed to get wider as Michael spoke, showing his agreement.

* * *

It took Michael and Liz ten minutes to find the Name Rater in Agate Village, and they were only able to find him with the help of one of the few younger people in the village. When they got to him, however, there were no clients waiting to see him. The interior of his home, however, we starkly in contrast with the surrounding modern village. Instead, it was decorated with cultural decorations from the Hoppip [read: Hopi] Tribe native to the Orre Region.

"Welcome," the man said, sitting cross-legged in his pristine, traditional Hoppip Tribe clothing. His dark hair was about to his mid-neck, and his tanned face was clean-shaven. "I assume you two are here to learn the names of your Pokémon."

"Yes, that's correct," Michael said. "We have five we need help with in total."

"That will be no problem," the Rater said. "Send out each Pokémon one at a time, and I shall speak with them."

"Alright," Liz said. "I'll go first with Sylveon." She then sent out the blue fairy-type Pokémon, getting a happy, musical mewing. The Name Rater began to make sounds when Sylveon looked at him, and they sounded like PokéSpeech in a way.

Sylveon then began to nod in understanding, then spoke herself. "Vee-Sylveon!" she said happily.

"Seems Sylveon's name is Titania," he said.

"As in Shakespeare's character?" Liz asked playfully.

"It seems that way," the Rater said.

Liz nodded. "Great to learn your name, Titania," she said as she gently scratched Titania behind the ears. The Sylveon purred happily at the loving contact.

"Now, let me meet the next one," the man said.

Michael gestured for Liz to go ahead. She smiled and sent out the newly-purified Teddiursa. "Here she is," the girl said with a gentle smile.

The Rater nodded and spoke kindly to the little Pokémon with the same language as before. Teddiursa pointed cutely to the yellow crescent-moon-shaped marking on her forehead. "Teddiur," she said cutely.

"It seems she is named Artemis, for the shape of her marking," The Rater said. "I believe that she is quite proud of her name."

"Artemis?" Liz asked as she pet the little bear cub. "I love that name!" Artemis's expression brightened as she hugged Liz tightly. She then looked at the Name Rater. "These two are the only Pokémon I have."

"Then it's the young man's turn," the Rater said.

"We'll start with my old friend," he said as he sent out Jolteon, who quickly began blushing at the sight of Titania.

The Name Rater had his quick conversation with Jolteon, though the Lightning Pokémon was talking shyly. "Seems his name is Nick," the Hoppip man said, kindly petting the Jolteon. "A strong name for a strong Pokémon." Michael's other two Pokémon both came out, their excitement showing especially with Poochyena, whose tail was wagging happily. The Name Rater chuckled. "And your Pokémon seem to have plenty of energy too. But they aren't battlers. They seem happier when just being with the people they love."

Michael nodded. "I noticed that yesterday," he said. "But, my sister would almost certainly love them both as pets."

The Name Rater smiled and nodded as he listened to Ledyba first, then to Poochyena. When Poochyena barked softly, however, her ears were pulled back as if she was sad about something. "Well, Ledyba here is named Francis," the Rater said kindly. "But, it seems that your Poochyena wasn't named before coming to Orre, as she was caught before she was old enough to remember her name. So, you have a very rare opportunity right now."

"I can name her?" Michael asked as Poochyena walked over to him. She put her paws on his shin and gave a sad whine with a pleading look. Michael crouched to her level, petting the little puppy kindly. "Well, what do you think of the name 'Ella'?" Poochyena perked up immediately, her tail wagging faster. Michael smiled and pet the little Pokémon under the chin. "Then that's what we'll go with. I'm sure everyone at the Lab will love you and Francis," he said.

* * *

After going to the Name Rater, Michael and Liz returned to the HQ Lab so Michael could entrust Ella and Francis to Jovi and his mother until the Shadow Crisis was over. Jovi had been overjoyed to truly meet Poochyena and Ledyba for the first time, and the feeling seemed mutual. Ella, however, had seemed to want to follow Michael when they were leaving. Michael noticed just before starting his scooter, so he had to pick up the puppy and carry her inside. He reassured her that he and Liz would come back soon, and that Jovi and Lily would play with her until then. While Ella looked sad, she seemed to also understand. It wasn't until she met Lily that she seemed to light up more. Luckily, Michael's mother seemed to have enough free time to play with the little puppy, seeming to fall in love with Ella immediately.

That distraction allowed Michael and Liz to leave for Mt. Battle. The drive was uneventful, with a short stop for lunch at a small rest area along the road. Another forty-five minutes later, and they'd arrived at the small valley of their destination. It was a small metal building in front of a mountain with a mass of yellow platforms attached to the mountain that spiraled around until they vanished into the cloud cover. They were currently in a small courtyard that had four squares of landscaping. The perimeter of the area was made up of shrubbery that resembled Rawst Berry plants.

It was the man in front of them, however, that Michael was apprehensive about seeing again. Before them was the red-haired man from Gateon Port, but unlike at the Port, Michael thought he could see emotional conflict in his expression.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to see you again," Eldes said. "I remember meeting you two in Gateon Port a few days ago."

"Yeah," Michael said. "I don't think we got your name back then."

"Eldes," he said, though Liz had a feeling that, even if he was being cordial, this man was dangerously powerful.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Eldes," Michael said, trying to stay polite. "And, even if it was the guy in blue who directly stepped in, I'd like to thank you for helping my sister in Gateon Port."

"It was no trouble. I've always disliked thugs like that man, so it was honestly satisfying to see him lose in such a way," Eldes said with a slight grin, though it looked more reserved than expected. "Anyway, are you here for training?"

"Not at the moment. We're just meeting with an Area Leader," Liz said, sounding on-guard.

"I see," Eldes said before turning to look at the mountain surrounded by battle platforms. "If the need arises for you, I highly recommend trying to clear all 100 battles of Mt. Battle. It's very rewarding, and it's a fast way to strengthen one's team."

"Sounds like you speak from experience," Michael said, getting a nearly unnoticeable sigh from Eldes.

"I do, but my training days were a long time ago. Back then, I only sought to be more powerful. I didn't need any other reason back them. As a result, I attained the status and skill I have now. But, at the same time, I've taken to questioning my motive for gaining power. I question what I'm fighting for now. I wonder, am I putting my Pokémon under cruel stress…" he paused, seeming deep in contemplation. "That's why I urge you to look into yourself. Ask yourself why you want to become stronger before you take that path." With that, Eldes took his leave. Michael and Liz were both stunned by the sudden depth of the conversation.

"That…was a bit weird," Michael said in a contemplative tone.

"Yeah, but he did have some good advice," Liz said as she led Michael to the building.

"How do you mean?" Michael asked with some confusion. He felt that Liz was getting a deeper interpretation of Eldes's words.

"Well, your reasons for getting stronger now are to take on Cipher and save the Pokémon they've enslaved. But, while getting to whatever level of power you need to reach, you need to be careful that your training doesn't turn cruel, and it doesn't become like Cipher's methods. Otherwise, you won't be much different from the criminals you're fighting," she said as they got to the entrance.

Michael nodded. "That makes sense," he said, before smiling. "I guess it's a good thing I have you with me to keep me from going overboard."

"You want me to be your moral compass?" Liz asked.

"Only if you think I'm going too far," Michael said. "Arceus knows that taking on a criminal syndicate can cloud morals."

"Yeah, I remember hearing about how Brendan Maple went on a rampage when Team Aqua kidnapped May during his journey," Liz said. "Gwen had to knock some sense into him, if I remember the interviews correctly."

"Exactly…maybe you could be like Gwen if I go on a rampage," Michael said with a smile.

Liz smiled, looked around to make sure people in the lobby weren't watching them, then kissed Michael on the cheek softly. "I'll be like Gwen for you…but I would prefer to be your May."

Michael's face turned crimson when she said that. "Um…" he said, making Liz giggle a bit at his shyness. "I…might have to think about that."

Liz's expression turned to slight disappointment. "Oh…I guess I understand," she said.

 _What the fuck brain?!_ Michael was shouting internally. _All I had to say was 'yes' and we'd be a couple now!_

Michael didn't get a chance to correct his slip, as he and Liz got to the receptionist's desk. "Hello, welcome to Mt. Battle," the young blonde woman said. "If you're here to train, then I apologize. We recently had a lot of trainers retire from their positions, and we're currently training the replacements."

"Actually, we're here to talk with an Area Leader named Vander," Michael said. "My name is Michael, this is Liz, and we're from the Pokémon HQ Lab."

"Oh, yes, Vander mentioned that he was expecting two visitors. He's currently with the new trainers in Area 1, though. You're welcome to wait for him here. I'll call the checkpoint at the end of Area 1. However, he only recently started the orientation sessions, and he may be a few hours."

"Would it be okay if we went up to meet with him?" Michael asked.

"Hmm…I'm not supposed to send any trainers in until Vander lets me know he's ready. But, since you're not here to train, I suppose I can bend the rules," she said as she typed a quick command, opening the door. "Go on in. He should only be on the second or third platform right now."

"Thank you so much," Liz said as they both made their way inside the battling facility. They immediately found themselves on a grey catwalk with yellow paint around the edges. They were already at least fifty feet off the ground, with propellers like helicopters on the base of each platform, which seemed to make no sense, since the platforms were all supported by massive metal beams and cables. It wasn't until they got onto the platform that they realized the purpose of the propeller. It was a wind turbine to power a shield around the platform, which came up as soon as Michael and Liz both got onto the platform, which looked like a small battlefield.

In the center, standing on a massive '1' of red paint, there was a young woman who looked to be from Johto, but she was wearing a pink version of May Maple's traveling outfit. "Oh, it's already starting? But I only just finished the orientation," she said, sounding nervous.

Michael held up his hands slightly defensively. "No, we're not here fo-"

"Alright, calming breaths," she said, as she took out two Pokéballs. "Let's battle. Come on out, Winry and Silque!" The Pokémon that came out were also the first two that May had caught when she was traveling with Brendan.

 _A Wingull and a Wurmple,_ Michael thought as he realized that he'd have to battle here. He activated his monitor as he sent out Nick. The Jolteon yipped happily when he saw that he would be battling. Michael smiled with his Pokémon's excitement as well. He then looked at the levels of the Pokémon on the field. _Seems her Pokémon are both level 9, and Nick is level 14 now. This shouldn't take long._

"Winry, use Super Sonic!" she said excitedly. "Silque, use Poison Sting!" Winry opened her mouth and began to emit a very high-pitched sonic wave. Nick leapt to the side to get out of the way of the sound wave. Just as soon as he landed, two needle-like objects shot into Nick's side, both covered in a venom. Luckily, the Jolteon dodged to the side in time, getting a scratch from each. Thankfully, he remained safe from being poisoned.

"Alright, now it's my turn," Michael said with a smirk. "Thunder Shock on Winry!" Nick barked in reply as lightning crackled around his body. It arced out and struck the Wingull. Michael watched as Winry fell to the ground, so he turned his focus to Silque. "Now, use Bite!"

"String Shot!" the May-cosplayer said.

Nick ran forward quickly, but Silque was already firing silk at Jolteon. He ran through the string, his teeth glowing black as he ran forward. Just as he was about to get completely tangled in the bug-type's string, he got to her and clamped down on the worm. He then tossed her up in the air and fired a Thunder Shock. Michael saw Silque's health drop to zero a moment later, and the ring of energy around the platform dissipated immediately. The remaining energy then swirled around Nick briefly, healing all of his injuries in the process.

"Wow, that's impressive," Michael said happily.

"Yeah," the cosplayer said with a sigh as she recalled her Pokémon. "The system was designed to heal all Pokémon after the battle so the trainer would be able to continue their training. Plus, with over one-hundred levels, it would be impossible for anybody to make it through every area in one go."

Liz nodded. "On an unrelated note, I'm curious about your outfit."

"Oh, you like it? May is my idol, so I decided to dress like her and raise a team like hers too. The only problem is I can't get any other Pokémon besides Wingull and Wurmple. So, I can't really get a full team like hers." Her smile made Michael and Liz feel a bit happier, but it also felt a bit weird too.

"So, you want to copy May Maple?" Liz asked, sounding confused.

"Well, yeah. She's beautiful, and she's so strong!" the girl said.

"Don't you worry that you won't become your own trainer?" Michael asked.

"A little," she said. "But I think I can make myself stand out as a trainer with this team, not just as a coordinator.

"I guess that makes sense," Liz said. "Plus, it's pretty difficult to get a Torchic normally, and you likely won't be able to even see a Latios."

"Right, so that's two Pokémon that I will need to change up in my team," she said. "But, I'm also only allowed to use level nine Pokémon while I'm working here."

"That just means you get to work on your overall skill even at the lower levels," Michael said reassuringly.

The cosplayer nodded before getting a look of confusion. "By the way, why are you two in here so soon? The facility isn't supposed to open yet."

"We're supposed to be meeting with Vander soon," Michael said.

"Oh," the cosplayer blushed. "I'm sorry, I heard you saying something about not being here to battle, but my nerves got the better of me."

"It's not a problem. Nick always loves a fun battle," Michael said, petting his Jolteon gently.

"Plus, you kind of need to have the strongest Pokémon you can raise," Liz said under her breath.

"Sorry for the delay, I think Vander just finished with area 2. You should be able to catch him if you hurry," the girl said.

"Perfect," Michael said as Liz led the way to a staircase catwalk leading to platform 2. When they got there, they saw a guy who looked nervous, and he was looking like he was still unsure of what hand to use when holding his Pokéball. He was wearing a button-down shirt with a t-shirt underneath, along with some khakis. He was also standing on a large red 2 in the center of the platform.

"Hello," Michael said. "Don't mind us, we're just going-"

"Oh, it's starting? I just finished my training with Vander. Okay, Pokéball in my left hand…let's battle!" he said as he sent out the two Pokémon of his team. The first was a Corphish, and the second was the cloud-winged Swablu. "Ready, Cal and Leia?" The two Pokémon nodded at the sound of their respective names.

"I'm seeing the pattern here," Michael said with a sigh. "Liz, want to try a battle here?"

"Actually…I think I would," she said as she took out the Pokéballs for Titania and Artemis, putting on her battle monitor sunglasses. "Come on out, my friends!" With joyful cries from both Pokémon, the battle began. Liz saw that Titania was at level 14, and Artemis was at level 13. _I'll have to thank Michael for his help there_.

"Titania, use Echoed Voice on Leia; Artemis, use Return on Cal!" Liz said. She still disliked battling, but she was beginning to realize that she would need to be able to match Michael in battle more closely if she was going to help him against Cipher.

Titania was quick with her call, which started off quiet compared to other vocal attacks. The soundwaves moved quickly and hit Leia, while Artemis was lightly glowing with a warm, golden energy. She stood up and charged forward at Cal.

"Leia, use Peck on Artemis, Cal, use Vicegrip on Titania!" the guy said.

Liz just rolled her eyes as she watched Artemis bulldoze Cal with a surprisingly powerful Return. The impact caused three heart-shaped orbs of energy to burst outward and pop cutely, also showing the bond Liz had forged with the Teddiursa so quickly. "Great job, Artemis!" she said as she saw the level 9 Swablu's health going to less than a quarter of its maximum, and the level 10 Corphish's health going almost to zero. "Now, Titania, use Fairy Wind on Swablu. Artemis, finish that Corphish with a Lick!"

Leia was quick to fly forward, her beak glowing with energy as she approached Artemis. However, Titania's aim was precise as she fired a swirling tunnel of wind mixed with pixie dust, hitting only the little blue bird away from the Teddiursa. Artemis then turned and grabbed Cal from behind, quickly licking the back of the crustacean's neck and causing his entire body to shiver at the unsettling contact. Both of their health bars fell to zero, as Liz cheered for her victory. She hugged her Pokémon happily as the energy field flew in and healed both of them. "Great job, you two! I'm so proud of you!"

"Dang it. Guess I still need to practice some more," the trainer said.

"No, you were great," Michael said. "After all, this is a place of training."

"Yeah, that's true," the guy said. "Plus, I'm a newer trainer…if that wasn't obvious from the start."

"We all need to start somewhere," Liz said happily as she recalled Titania and Artemis. "But, you really didn't need to battle us. We're only here to meet with Vander."

"Wait, seriously?" he asked. "Vander is literally on platform three. You should be able to catch him, since he's in the middle of training the guy stationed there."

"Perfect, thank you," Michael said as they continued up the second staircase catwalk. They then saw two guys on the third platform. One was a brown-haired guy wearing an orange zip-up sweat shirt, and black shorts. The other was a man in a black long-sleeved shirt and some red hair pushed back, forming three spikes, one on each side of his head, and the third on the back of his head.

"So, seems you're catching on fast. Do you have any questions for me?" the red-haired man said.

The trainer then looked at Michael and Liz with shock. "Uh…yeah, isn't the facility closed today?"

The man followed the trainer's gaze, seeing Michael and Liz. "Oh, are you two Michael and Liz? Eagun called to let me know you'd be coming," he said. "I'm Vander."

"Great to meet you, Vander," Michael said, shaking hands with the area leader. "So, Eagun said you might have a lead for us to follow."

"Possibly," Vander said. "I'm not entirely sure if it's something. However, I just thought of something that would really help with Bardo's training."

"You want me to battle him?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, especially since a battle is the best way to improve a trainer's skill," Vander said.

"Alright, come on out Nick," Michael said as Jolteon came out of his Pokéball.

The trainer for Area 3, who Michael assumed to be Bardo, took out his own Pokéballs. "Go, Vogel," he said as he sent out the twin-headed bird Pokémon, Doduo. "And you too, Moch!" The next Pokémon that came out was Spoink, the grey pig-like Pokémon bouncing on his tail, with a pink pearl balanced on his head.

"Alright, start your monitors," Vander said. "And we will get this started."

Michael already had his monitor on and ready, seeing Nick was almost level 15, while their opponents were both level 10 now. Bardo began to do the same. When they were both ready, Bardo made the first move. "Then let me start us. Vogel, use Fury Attack. Moch, use Confusion!"

"Nick, Thunder Shock on Vogel, then use Bite on Moch!" Michael said. The Doduo was quick to rush forward and peck at Jolteon, moving fast and jabbing hard with his beaks. Nick began to dodge as best he could, backing up and moving to the side. He launched a swirl of lightning at Vogel, only for a swirling of psychic energy to slam into his side, knocking him to the side and making his Thunder Shock miss, as the next thrust of the Fury Attack hit its mark. Michael winced slightly as Nick's health dropped by a quarter. "Come on, Nick, fire that Thunder Shock!" Nick's expression became more determined as more electricity crackled around him. He then fired a stream of electricity again, hitting his mark and knocking Vogel back and to the ground. Michael watched as Vogel's health dropped quickly to zero. Nick then leapt forward as his teeth turned black with energy, quickly clamping down on Moch's tail. He then whipped his head around before slamming the Spoink into the ground. He quickly began to gather lightning for a Thunder Shock, assuming that Michael would call for that attack. Michael watch Moch's health drop to zero as well. Michael sighed with a smile as the energy around the ring go and swirl around the Jolteon.

As the Pokémon were all healed, Vander began to clap heartily. "That was excellent. Bardo, I hope you've learned from your experience here. That's how a battle really should go."

"Thank you, sir," Bardo said with a respectful bow.

Vander then turned to Michael and Liz. "We should take this somewhere more appropriate. Come on, we'll go to the lobby for this," he said, leading them back down to the entrance.

When they arrived in the lobby, Vander took the duo into an office space. "So, what is it that you were telling Eagun about?" Liz asked.

Vander pulled out an electronic map of Orre. "Honestly it's not much to go on. Mostly just small sightings of activity," he said. He then put a marker in the northern desert of Orre. "Recently, an old Cipher lab has had a spike of activity. I have no idea what's happening there, but Eagun said you're set on taking on Cipher. So, if you think it's worth the effort, you should check out the location."

Michael sighed. "So, we might be diving into the enemy's stronghold…" he said, before turning a façade of a smile to his best friend. "Well, Liz, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

 **And here is the next chapter. Sorry for the wait, but I have had a crazy couple of weeks. Either way, Happy New Year. Remember to wait for a day or two before going to an actual gym so those who fail with their resolutions aren't crowding the place.**

 **Anyway, as usual, please review and let me know what you thought.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	9. Chapter 9 - The Hexagon Brothers

_The Hexagon Brothers_

It took Michael and Liz two hours to drive from Mt. Battle to the marked location. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon at this point, and they had been driving through the desert for half that time, and they began to think that Vander had misled them, or they were just missing the real place, despite the GPS working.

"So, do you really think we're going to find Cipher here?" Liz asked over the engine's roar.

"It's certainly possible," Michael said as they saw a white building in the distance. "Personally, I'm kind of hoping they're here. I want to start taking them down."

"Michael, I…I'm scared," she said. "I want to stop Cipher too, but I don't know if we have the strength yet."

"That's why we're training," Michael said. "I am scared too, but we still need to stop them."

"I…I know you're right," she said, tightening her grip around his chest. "Just please don't get hurt."

"I won't if you don't," Michael said, getting a slight giggle from Liz.

"H-hey, Michael, isn't that the van that took Dr. Krane parked beside the building there?" she asked as she pointed forward. Michael looked where she was pointing, and his eyes went wide.

"Yeah, it is," he said, narrowing his eyes angrily, driving to a dune close enough for them to walk, but he parked it where it would be hidden as well. They didn't want to go through this facility, whatever it was, only for their ride home to be sabotaged.

"Alright, let's keep quiet and stealthy," Michael said, looking at the building. They saw two doors, one for personnel, the other for vehicles. "They won't be expecting us, but it might be a good idea to find some disguises."

"Michael, we're from the HQ Lab, which is home to the only thing Cipher fears. And that Snag Machine recently it two fears. I think they'll know it's us. Hell, they might even have files on both of us already. Even with disguises, you'd stand out like a sore thumb with it on"

"Yeah, true…I just think we should be cau-" he stopped speaking as the personnel door opened. They then saw six men poor out, all wearing the same type of uniform, but they each had a different color. In order, their uniforms were red, blue, brown, yellow, purple, and green. "Who are these guys?" he whispered.

As if on cue, the six men lined up horizontally, and the one in red spoke. "We, the Hexagon Brothers, have arrived at our posts for guard duty! Now, brothers, sound off!" He turned forward, and the one in blue started counting, going down the line.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

There was a slight pause, while the one in red began to look confused. "Wait, five?" he asked. "We're missing somebody."

"Maybe we just miscounted," the one in green said. "Let me try. Count off!" Like the one in red, he then went silent, and the one in purple began the count, ending with the same result.

The one in red then turned to his group. "See, I told you we're missing somebody," he said. "But, oh well, I'm sure he'll turn up."

"Hang on, I think we're all here," the one in yellow said.

Michael and Liz looked at each other incredulously. It only got worse when the six decided to try a different formation, getting into a circle. "Alright, let's try this now. One!" the red one said. Michael and Liz then struggled not to laugh when the men made it to six, and the one in red continued the count. Once the man in blue counted eight, the one in purple called out.

"Eight?" he said with confusion. "Great, now there are too many of us."

The one in brown then spoke, sounding weirdly suspicious. "Careful, brothers, there might be a spy among us."

That made Liz snort with laughter she was trying, but failing to suppress. Unfortunately, that also alerted the six men that they weren't alone. "Hey, who's there?" one of them called out, suddenly sounding more menacing. Michael decided to just come out and wing it, Liz following him, realizing they wouldn't have a chance of sneaking inside now. "Now, what do we have here?" the one in red said. "A couple of rats trying to spy on our lab?"

"What d'ya say, brothers?" the one in blue called out. "Should we take 'em out?"

"How about we do this the right way," Michael said, hoping their behavior earlier was an indication of their intelligence. "How about you all battle me one at a time, and I beat you all senseless with minimal effort?"

Liz looked at Michael, knowing that he was subtly referencing _Austin Powers: Gold Member_ with that line, but she couldn't help but think his bluff was a little too much. _There is no way these guys would be so–_

"You're on!" the one in yellow called out. Liz struggled to stop herself from facepalming.

Michael just took out Nick's Pokéball. "Glad to hear it. Who's first?"

The one in red came forward. "Slugma, Houndour, your master needs you!" he said. Michael's eyes narrowed as he felt the sudden chill in the air, and his Shadow Monitor began to beep as the lava slug and hellhound puppy appeared. As the eyepiece extended, Michael saw the dark aura around Houndour. The Shadow Pokémon was listed as level 17, with Slugma at 15. Michael smirked happily, with Nick's level, being at 15 as well.

"Go for it, Brother Red!" the others cheered in unison.

"Seems we have another Shadow…" Michael said as he sent out his Jolteon. "Ready buddy?" he asked. Nick gave a confident nod, getting into a ready position. "Let's go."

"Shadow Blitz, Houndour!" Red said. "Slugma, use Ember!"

"Nick, use Thunder Shock on Slugma!" Michael said. With his superior speed, Nick was the first to make an attack, shooting stream of lightning at the scorching slug. It hit with a lot of power, but Slugma was sturdy. He held on with about a quarter of his health before spitting out a stream of cinders. It wasn't until Jolteon leapt out of the fire's path that Michael saw Houndour running at Jolteon quickly, hitting the Lightning Pokémon in the side. Michael winced as Nick's health dropped almost to the halfway point.

"You two fucked up coming here," the man in red said. "Now die, you pathetic punk!"

As if to shout in defiance, Nick fired another Thunder Shock, hitting Slugma again, knocking him out of the fight, earning a scowl from the Red Hexagon brother. He then turned to Houndour, and Michael heard the buzzing of static electricity gathering in Nick's fur. He then fired an orb of the purple lightning, using Thunder Wave, although it seemed he still had a long way to go before perfecting the move. It hit the Houndour, who immediately began to shiver with the electricity coursing through his body.

"Great job, buddy!" Michael said, having taken his chance to initiate a snag. He put his arm to the side as a Pokéball materialized in his hand. He quickly threw the Pokéball at the Shadow. The energy hand extended and closed around the paralyzed Houndour, pulling him into the ball. It took less than a minute for the ball to stop rolling and snap shut. Michael smirked as Jolteon ran over and picked up the Pokéball for Michael, bringing it to his trainer. "Thank you, Nick. You were incredible out there." He then took out healing items, and healed the Jolteon. He then let Houndour out, being cautious with the Pokémon as he gave the little fire dog the Lum Berry he'd received in Agate Village. Despite a look of clear aggression from the fire dog, Michael was showing compassion to the Pokémon.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two trainers, down in the basements of the building they were beside, a few Cipher Peons were waiting in a security room, where they also had an electronic listing of every Shadow Pokémon on the premises. It had been an order made by the Grand Master himself, given the development of a new Snag Machine, and it was updated anytime there were changes. So far, there had only been additions as more Shadow Pokémon were created. They had been celebrating their success after Greevil left without killing anybody at the facility, only to get jolted out of their enjoyment by a short alarm. They all turned to the screen to see that the Shadow Houndour, belonging to one of the irritating Hexagon Brothers, had just dropped from the list.

"What the fuck?" one of the women asked. "Weren't those idiots just sent up for guard duty?"

"Yeah, they were," one of the men said. "Somebody radio Lovrina, then get to your stations. Those of you with Shadow Pokémon, be very careful." He then got onto the radio for all personnel in the facility, for those who weren't in the security room currently. "All Cipher members, be on alert, but cautious. We have intruders on the premises, and one has a Snag Machine. Do all that you can to stop them, but do NOT lose your Shadow Pokémon. The Grand Master does not tolerate failure, nor does Lovrina."

* * *

Michael was currently standing across from the blue uniformed man, who Michael now knew to be with Cipher. He also had Nick and the newly snagged Houndour out for the battle. "Come on out, Froakie, and Poliwag!" Michael saw they were both level 15.

"Nick, Houndour, let's take care of this," Michael said. The Houndour snarled at his new trainer, but Michael returned the glare with a strong, but caring look. The dark puppy relaxed and decided that he didn't really care who his trainer was. He wanted to battle…and anybody could be his target.

"Both of you, use Water Gun and pick your targets!" the blue brother said. Both Pokémon reared back and fired small jets of water, each one aiming at the Pokémon in front of them. The Froakie aimed for Houndour, while Poliwag aimed for Nick.

"Nick, counter Poliwag's attack with Thunder Shock. Houndour, dodge and use Shadow Blitz on Froakie!" Michael hoped his call would not fall on deaf ears with Houndour. Nick obeyed without hesitation, trusting Michael deeply. Houndour, looking confused at his new teammate's loyalty, decided to ignore the order to dodge. Instead, he sprinted forward with the shadowy aura around him becoming regularly visible. Michael winced as Houndour took the Water Gun, losing almost half his health in the process. In contrast, Nick had blasted and evaporated the incoming Water Gun with his Thunder Shock, which continued forward, hitting Poliwag powerfully. The attack was enough to knock out the tadpole Pokémon.

While Houndour slammed into Froakie, he was still the loser of that bout in terms of how much health was lost, with Froakie losing only about a third of his health. That was when the guy in blue threw his next Pokémon. Michael's Shadow Monitor responded as the light materialized into an adorable little Spheal.

Liz's heart began to throb when she saw which Pokémon Cipher had turned into a emotionless machine. Spheal was known to be playful, and especially friendly with people, and these monsters had turned it into a weapon. _How low will these guys go?_

"Houndour, I need you to listen to me now," Michael said, seeing that the Shadow Pokémon's heart gauge was dropping slowly. It had made it halfway to the second section, indicating slow progress. "Use Shadow Blitz on Froakie again. Nick, use Thunder Wave on Spheal."

Before either of the Pokémon could respond, Spheal had gathered two orbs of Shadow energy, firing them both. Michael's monitor gave him a notice. "New attack detected: Shadow Wave," he read under his breath. This time, as Houndour powered up, he dodged that attack, as well as Froakie's second Water Gun. He sprinted as his shadow aura surrounded him, quickly slamming into the helpless frog. He dealt a little more damage this time, likely because he hadn't been slowed down by a Water Gun. Froakie collapsed to the ground, but he seemed to be on the cusp of passing out. Michael saw that the frog Pokémon was sitting at literally one point of health, and he was struggling to get up.

While the little blue frog had trouble standing, Nick had been blindsided by the incoming Shadow Wave. He lost a quarter of his health, and he was staggered slightly by the shadow attack. Despite being hit, Nick still endured and gathered another static shot, hitting Spheal directly. Michael wasted no more time in programming a snag. He threw the ball, and almost as soon as the energy hand returned with Spheal, the ball snapped shut.

* * *

Many miles away, in a dark, luxurious car driving across the region's highways, a cell phone rang. "Hello?" said the voice of Ardos, who was in the passenger's seat of the car. Eldes was driving while the Grand Master was sitting in the back seat, seeming to be brooding slightly as he listened to Ardos closely. "I see, so Orison and Hanz have taken our bait. Good," he said, letting the other person talk. "No matter the losses, The Grand Master's plan will no longer be affected if your lab falls. Use your weaker teams. Let Orison think he's a threat to us." With that, he hung up.

"Seems the boy is growing quickly," Greevil said with a slight cackle. "In less than a week, he's waging an assault on our facilities. No matter. If my Shadow Pokémon plan is to be a success, we will need to cull the weak from our ranks."

"Master…are you sure it is wise to not just crush the boy while we have the chance?" Eldes said, sounding concerned.

"Is that worry in your voice, Eldes?" Greevil said with a bemused tone.

"Only regarding that tactics, sir. If there's a potential threat getting stronger, wouldn't it be wisest to crush it while it's still relatively harmless, then gain power at our leisure?" Eldes asked, almost making it rhetorical.

"Perhaps…but the boy isn't moving strategically. While he's making quick work of the weaker, easily turned Shadow Pokémon, we are creating more Shadow Pokémon with enough power to more than make up for any losses, such as the one you were just given," the old man said.

"Perhaps," Eldes said, looking briefly at the new Pokéball on his belt. Despite it being inside the Pokéball, he could sense the overwhelming power the dragon within possessed. And he knew quite well how powerful the creature had been before it was turned into a Shadow Pokémon. After all, he was the one who had raised it from an egg, and it had been his first Pokémon.

* * *

Michael stood up after healing his team again. Noticing that Nick was beginning to look a bit tired from two battles in a row. So, he decided to let him rest for his next battle, which was apparently going to be against the brother in brown. With Spheal and Houndour ready to battle already, the brother sent out his own two Pokémon: a level 17 Baltoy and a level 17 Hoothoot.

When the Shadow Monitor responded, showing Michael that Baltoy was the target, he saw a pattern with these guys. All the Shadow Pokémon these guys had must be at level 17. He smirked and began the battle. "Houndour, use Shadow Blitz on Hoothoot. Spheal, use Shadow Wave," he said. Houndour gathered his aura, and he sprinted at the round owl. He moved fast, but Hoothoot just began to flutter away. Just as he landed, though, the little owl took a powerful impact from Spheal's Shadow Wave. Baltoy had simply waited and let Spheal's attack hit him. While Hoothoot lost nearly half of her health from that hit, Baltoy had barely lost a tenth.

"Hoothoot, use Peck on that traitorous dog!" the brown guy said. "And Baltoy, use Shadow Mist!" Hoothoot moved quickly, pecking hard at Houndour. That was when Michael noticed the small tongues of fire puffing out from Houndour's mouth.

 _Did he just learn a new attack?_ Michael quickly opened Houndour's move list, and saw that he had learned Ember. "Houndour, let loose with your Ember!" he said proudly.

Houndour opened his mouth and shot out a small ball of fire, hitting Hoothoot directly, knocking the bird back and to the ground. Michael saw its health bar hit zero before turning his focus to Spheal. "Use Shadow Wave. Let's weaken that Baltoy."

"Baltoy, use Shadow Blitz on both of those traitors," the man in brown said. Baltoy gathered his shadow aura and spun quickly. He flew towards Houndour first, but he was met with an Ember, and he slowed down significantly. That drop of speed was enough for Michael's snag programming to lock on to Baltoy. He decided to take his chance, throwing the Pokéball before dealing any damage. To the surprise of all those present, the ball shook three times easily, snapping shut like the past two snag attempts.

"Yes," Michael said happily. "One more Pokémon safe." Despite them still being unable to feel emotions, both Houndour and Spheal took a keen notice of what Michael said. Their reactions put metaphorical cracks in the barrier Cipher put into their minds, and their heart gauges dropped again, getting halfway to the next segment of the gauges. Houndour, starting to get some memories back, saw the Pokéball and remembered how Jolteon had retrieved Spheal's new Pokéball. Thinking it might get him similar praise, he trotted over and picked it up before walking back to Michael, dropping it into the smiling trainer's hand. "Thank you, Houndour, you're so helpful." Michael healed his Pokémon as the yellow brother stepped forward. For some reason, he didn't bother to rush Michael. He just sat there and waited. "Alright, Houndour, you've fought brilliantly, but you should take a break for now. We'll win, I promise." Houndour seemed to nod slightly, and Michael could've sworn that he saw the little dog's tail wagging slightly before he went into the Pokéball.

Michael then sent out the Baltoy he'd just snagged, looking non-chalantly at his yellow-clad opponent. While Cipher worried him, these six men just made him want to laugh. The clay doll Pokémon levitated a little distance off the ground.

"Go kill them, Chinchou and Electrike!" he said as he sent out a level 11 blue fish with two antennae ending in yellow bulbs that pulsed with electricity, and a level 12 green dog-like Pokémon with yellow streaks down his sides like lightning bolts.

"Spheal, use Shadow Wave. Baltoy, use Shadow Blitz!" Michael said.

"Electrike, use Quick Attack on Spheal. Chinchou, use Water Gun on Baltoy," he said. Electrike made the first move, his blinding speed making him look like a blur to everybody present as he went to slam into Spheal. However, that maneuver only put him directly in line with Spheal's attack. The Shadow Pokémon gathered two orbs of his aura, firing one directly into Electrike's side, making him tumble hard across the battlefield. At the same time, Chinchou shot an orb of water at Baltoy. Without thinking, and like a machine, Baltoy spun out of the way, moving like a top with its balancers out like blades. Its aura flared up as it flew at Chinchou, hitting with precision and a great deal of power. That hit was followed by Spheal's other orb of shadow energy. That second hit knocked Chinchou to his trainer's feet, earning a look of contempt and disgust from the yellow-clad trainer.

"What, you're angry that you lost?" Michael asked confrontationally. "You treat your Pokémon like abandoned property, and you're shocked that they don't battle at their best? You people in Cipher disgust me."

"Fuck off, kid," the guy in yellow said as he recalled the two knocked out Pokémon. "My Shadow Pokémon will shut you up. Go, slave!"

The Pokémon that came out was the fluffy, blue-faced sheep Pokémon, Mareep. Liz had always had a soft spot for the little electric sheep, and they had always been gentle. This one, however, looked like it wanted to murder every single person and Pokémon in the vicinity. _Seriously, who is so heartless that they could turn some of the most loving creatures in existence into monsters? I know from history classes that Cipher's researcher, Ein was responsible for creating Shadow Pokémon ten years ago, but that was deplorable even by the standards of that time. So, who would be so evil to follow in his footsteps?_

Unfortunately, Liz's questions would need to wait, as Michael got ready to battle more seriously. His Shadow Monitor had gone off, and he was now getting ready for a snag. Despite feeling ready he still needed to battle first. Otherwise, he'd miss his chance at catching and saving this Pokémon.

"Shadow Blitz, and Shadow Wave," Michael said to his team. Both Spheal and Baltoy began to attack fast, the clay Pokémon spinning on his base rapidly and the little seal bounced slightly as he fired an orb of shadow energy at the little sheep. Mareep just stood and let the two attacks hit her, giving a glare as her health only dropped by a third. For Michael, though, it was just enough for him to take the chance at a snag. His motion was smooth, and his aim was as true as needed. It seemed that, as soon as the ball snapped closed, the sparks flew to indicate a successful capture.

"What? That traitor!" the man in yellow said angrily. Spheal ignored the anger of the Cipher admin, and just rolled forward happily and lifted the Pokéball, starting to balance it on his nose before he placed it down and bumped it hard enough to roll it to Michael's feet.

"Yeah, no kidding. You're all subhuman scum if you think that your Pokémon aren't screaming for help from their mental prisons," Liz said softly.

Michael was noticing a great deal about his new Shadow Pokémon, and it seemed that they were all responding quickly to his caring demeanor, and were all beginning to return to their happy, natural states. Unfortunately, looking at their heart gauges told Michael that there was still a long way to go before they could be purified.

* * *

Back at the HQ Lab, Dr. Christian Hanz and Dr. Lily Orison were both looking at the room where the Purify Chamber was to be housed. "Alright, we're just waiting for the final bits of coding, then it'll be ready," Dr. Hanz said. "Most likely, it will be done tomorrow morning"

"Yeah, and it's a good thing we linked it to both Michael's and Liz's PC accounts," Lily said. "But, why did you add an extra link for Liz?"

Christian smiled. "She asked me to. She said, and I quote, 'I can't let Michael take on Cipher alone.' So, we're making a Snag Machine for her too."

"Another one?" Lily asked. "Is that smart, or safe?"

"Well, if Michael is the only one taking on Cipher, he's going to get overwhelmed. It's too much for just one man. Hell, Wes almost went insane when he was facing Cipher…and that was a branch. Michael might be facing the true Cipher. He's gonna need the help."

Lily sighed. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "So, when do you think those two are finally going to admit that they're in love with each other?"

Christian chuckled. "I have been asking myself that question since they were in high school. But…I'd say it's not much longer. To be honest, the night before they left for Agate, I noticed them talking out front. Must've been emotional, because she kissed him at the end of the talk. Looked like she was making a point to him too, because he stood there for a solid minute."

Lily giggled. "Those two…and they still don't know about the Lab's pool on when they start dating. To be honest, though, Michael's being a bit oblivious to Liz's signals."

"Yeah, but Liz is too hesitant when it comes to telling Michael how she feels," Christian said with a little bit of a chuckle. "He's gonna make the first move. I guarantee it."

"No, she's going to be the first," Lily said. "Besides, I've got $100 riding on that bet."

That got a hearty laugh from Christian. "Yeah, and so does almost everybody else at the lab." They both began to laugh the way they had back when they would have bonfires with their spouses when they were newly weds. It was comforting, in a platonic way, that some of the good times didn't change

* * *

Michael had finished healing his Pokémon again, then looked up to see that the man in purple was his next opponent. "So, I'm guessing you use poison types," he said, seeing the pattern of these six brothers. "Think you can really beat me with your skills?"

"Say what you will, but our teams have six of the strongest Shadow Pokémon at this lab," he said.

Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, you guys probably only have two more Shadow Pokémon. _I_ have the rest of those Shadow Pokémon you're talking about."

"What of it? They were worthless anyway. Now, go and serve your master!" the purple man said. The two Pokémon that came out were a level 10 Koffing, and a level 11 Grimer. The first was a levitating purple rock-like Pokémon levitating due to the noxious gases in his body. The second Pokémon was a purple blob of toxins. Michael shuddered at the sickening smells of both creatures. Luckily, he had two level 17 Pokémon, giving him an advantage. The issue, though, was that his Pokémon were Shadows, and he needed to remain cautious should they ever go into Reverse Mode. Luckily, it seemed to be too early in the purification process for Reverse Mode to activate.

"That's it…I'm done trying to reason with you," Michael said. "Mareep, Baltoy, let's save the next Shadow Pokémon."

"Grimer, use Pound on Mareep. Koffing, use Poison Gas on Baltoy," the purple-clad guy said. Koffing began to puff up before unleashing a cloud of poisonous gases. At the same time, Grimer moved forward rapidly, his fist raised as he went to attack.

"Mareep, use Shadow Blitz to counter Grimer. Baltoy, dodge that gas, then use Shadow Blitz on Koffing." Both the Shadow Pokémon began to gather their aura as they flew at their targets. Baltoy barely dodged the toxic cloud with a spin as he flew at the Poison Gas Pokémon. The two Shadow Pokémon, with expressions of savagery on their faces, slammed into their opponents. Michael almost winced as he watched the two Poison types take painful hits.

Unfortunately, Michael's theory about Reverse Mode only activating later in the process of purification as Baltoy's aura turned red, much like Artemis's energy had while she was still a Shadow Pokémon. His fury boiled over and he began to go insane with his attacking as he waited for his next targets.

"Well, now he's acting like a true Shadow Pokémon. Becoming a killing machine devoid of thought," the man in purple said as he took out his next two Pokéballs"

"Baltoy, snap out of it!" Michael said with clear concern. Baltoy heard his trainer, but their new relationship made his response less effective than it had been with Ella in Agate Village. Instead, he just continued to boil over with rage. Michael sighed as the next two opponents were sent out. The first was a blue jellyfish with red jewel-like bulbs on his head. The Tentacool landed on his body's base, with his tentacles waving in the air defensively. The second was a green blob with a yellow feather-like plume on his head, with a black diamond on his back. The Shadow Monitor began to respond once the Gulpin materialized. However, he also noticed Baltoy's health dropping from Reverse Mode.

"Gulpin, use Shadow Blitz on Mareep. Tentacool, use Poison Sting on Baltoy," the Cipher Peon said. Gulpin gathered his aura, making it visible before he began to roll toward Mareep. At the same time, Tentacool then shot a cluster of small barbs coated in poison, aiming directly at Baltoy.

"Baltoy, use Shadow Blitz on Gulpin. Mareep, use Shadow Blitz on Tentacool." Both of Michael's Pokémon gathered their auras and flew at their targets. Baltoy slammed into the green Pokémon shaped like a stomach, indirectly taking the hit that would've been Mareep's. At the same time, Mareep slammed headfirst into Tentacool, taking the poisoned barbs instead. Unfortunately, that shot wound up poisoning the woolen Pokémon, making her take on a sickly pallor. "Now, both of you, use Shadow Blitz one more time." The two Shadow Pokémon responded, crossing the battlefield with their auras glowing like fire as they both went after the Pokémon the other had attacked before. Baltoy's hit on Tentacool proved to be enough to take out the rest of his health, leaving only Gulpin for snagging. His health was currently only down by a quarter, so he wasn't quite ready, despite Michael's seeming luck with his snags. "Now, Baltoy, please, calm down and come to your senses!" This time, Michael's call got the intended results, and Baltoy came out of Reverse Mode. Mareep's hit, which was met with a Shadow Blitz as well, managed to weaken the poison-type enough for Michael to be confident in his chances at snagging him. He made the right motions, and threw the Snag Ball. Like with the other Shadow Pokémon of the six brothers, Gulpin put little fight into escaping from being snagged.

"Seems the Shadow Pokémon here want to be snagged," Michael said to Liz.

"No kidding…I wouldn't be surprised if their non-Shadow Pokémon want to be snagged too," Liz said.

Michael knelt with his Pokémon to heal them, while Baltoy levitated the newly filled Pokéball to his hand. He smiled. "Thank you, Baltoy. You're a big helper," he said. It took him two minutes to treat the injuries each Pokémon sustained, including Gulpin. "Now, Baltoy, take a rest. We still have a base to raid after this, so I want you to be at your best for that." Baltoy gave a nod as he was recalled to his Pokéball. Michael then stood again, looking at the last of the six brothers.

"You may think you've beaten us, but we're sextuplets. That means we do everything together. All of our activities are six-fold," the man in green said. "You won't overcome our brotherly bonds! Now, go, Lotad and Oddish."

Michael looked at his HUD, seeing that the two grass-types had the lowest levels of all the regular Pokémon the other brothers had sent out, both at level 9. However, he noticed that his opponent had six Pokémon in total.

"Alright, time for a longer battle," he said quietly, noticing that Mareep had learned the move Thunder Shock. "Alright, both of you, use Shadow Blitz. Pick your targets," he said.

"Lotad, Bull–," the man started, but he was cut off when Michael's two Shadow Pokémon hit their marks hard and fast. Those hits were enough to knock out both of their targets almost simultaneously. He growled slightly as he recalled his Pokémon and sent out his next two. One was a Cacnea, a small cactus-like Pokémon with arms. The other was a Shroomish, a short mushroom-like Pokémon that was mostly yellow with green spots around her body.

"One more time, both of you use Shadow Blitz!" Michael said. Once again, before the man in green could make a command, Mareep and Gulpin slammed into their targets, moving with surprising speed to knock out their opponents. Michael now saw pure rage building on the man's face.

"You four are going without meals today...maybe even tomorrow," he growled as he recalled the two Pokémon on the field. He then sent out his last two Pokémon. One was the pinecone-like bagworm Pokémon, Pineco. The other was a Seedot, which looked like an acorn with eyes and feet. The latter was the one to trigger the Shadow Monitor this time.

"It should be a Nuzleaf by now," Michael said. "They must have kept it from evolving to keep it more controllable."

"Hell if I know what they did to the slaves," the man in green said. "But, then again, I don't give a shit what they did. We're just here to get a six-fold paycheck. Now, Shadow Wave!" Seedot, seeming devoid of emotions, shot two orbs of shadow energy at Mareep and Gulpin. "Pineco, use Tackle on Gulpin!"

"Mareep, Thunder Shock on Seedot!" Michael said, hoping to paralyze the acorn Pokémon to make the snag easier. "Gulpin, Shadow Blitz on Pineco!" The two Pokémon seemed to respond as eagerly as their shadow affliction allowed. Mareep's wool, having gathered a lot of electricity, sparked quickly as he unleashed a stream of lightning. His attack hit at the same time as Seedot's Shadow Wave, both dealing about the same amount of damage to each other.

While that exchange happened, Gulpin had moved with surprising speed, colliding with Pineco as the bagworm threw himself forward. However, the gap in strength and the effectiveness of Shadow attacks against non-Shadow Pokémon led to one thing: Pineco fainting, and his trainer's growing fury. Michael smirked, and programed a snag, targeting Seedot. He made the motions one more time, throwing the Snag Ball. In the blink of an eye, the energy hand had grabbed and pulled Seedot into the ball. It landed and immediately began to roll. Once again, like the last five snags, there seemed to be an inherent eagerness from Seedot to get away from his current trainer, as the ball snapped shut. Unfortunately, Michael was already at his team's limit of six. Before he could go to pick up the Pokéball, it was teleported to the HQ Lab's Pokémon storage space.

Michael still smirked as the six Cipher members started looking scared. "We need to retreat," the one in red said. "And we need to go fast. Maybe Mr. Snattle will let us join his operation!"

"Good idea!" the one in blue said. With that, all of the multi-colored Cipher Peons sprinted out of the area, running southwest into the desert.

Michael sighed when he and Liz were alone, recalling his two Pokémon and going to lean on the nearby red van. "Holy hell, six battles in a row really takes it out of you."

"Yeah, but we still have the rest of this base to go through. Arceus knows how many of them are in there."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to take them all on," Michael said.

"Sounds like you need me to join in the battles here," she said with a supportive smile.

"Would you please?" Michael asked.

Liz walked over and hugged Michael tightly. "I was going to help even if you didn't ask," she whispered before she kissed his cheek. "Now, come on. Your uncle might be in here, and that means we can save him today."

As she said that, Titania let herself out of her Pokéball and trotted over to where the six brothers had been standing. She lowered her head and seemed to pick something up. When she came back, Liz and Michael both smiled, the former praising her Pokémon for noticing the dropped item.

"Seems those brothers had trouble holding onto both their Pokémon, and their ID cards," Michael said, taking the laminated card from the fairy type. If there were doors that needed an employee ID to open, then they wouldn't be obstacles for the two trainers.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading, sorry for the longer wait. New job, and some other issues I needed to address took priority.**

 **As usual, let me know what you thought of my writing by leaving a review.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	10. Chapter 10 - Stealth Not Needed

_Stealth Not Needed_

Upon entering using the card dropped by one of the rainbow Peons, Michael was relieved to see that there was a healing machine, and a terminal to transfer Pokémon to and from the storage location. It also looked like it could transfer control of Pokémon between trainers. Cipher most likely used it a lot. "Hey, Michael, I have a request…" Liz said. "Would you mind if I took Mareep for my team?"

"You sure you want me to give you a Shadow Pokémon?" Michael asked.

"Yes…I'd like to be more than just the cheerleader on the sidelines," she said. "Plus, you said it yourself outside. Facing Cipher alone is too much for just one person to handle on their own."

"Alright…I really appreciate the help," Michael said. He also realized that, since he already had Jolteon, he didn't need another electric type, nor would it be wise to have too many of one Pokémon type on his team. So, by scanning the card they picked up on the ID checker, they activated the machine. They then typed in their own trainer ID numbers, and Michael put Mareep's Pokéball into the slot. They pressed the activation button, and the machine began to pulse as electricity surrounded the Pokéball. Then, a moment later, the process was finished, with a green light flashing.

"Thanks, Mike," Liz said, playfully using the shortened version of Michael's name, knowing he'd never really liked the name. She winked at him cutely, making him blush a little. He wouldn't admit it, but Liz was the only person he didn't mind calling him Mike.

"Now, I guess I'll get Seedot to balance out the team," Michael said as he opened his own access to his storage system, then had the newly snagged Seedot's Pokéball teleported to the terminal. He then put the ball on his belt, and smiled to Liz. "So, what do you say we split the battles. If there's a shadow Pokémon, I'll give the Snag Machine to you."

"Thanks…but I'm right-handed," Liz said, sounding almost disappointed about her restrictions keeping her from using the Snag Machine. _Either way, with any luck, Dad will have my Snag Machine done when we get back._

"Well, it's not like you need to aim the throw," Michael said. "Or, would you rather have me handle the battles against the Shadow Pokémon?"

"I think we should go for the first plan. We aren't sure how many Shadow Pokémon we'll find, or who will have them. Let's just alternate with who battles."

"Agreed," Michael said as they made their way into the next room, which was a dark grey, with a row of two benches along with what looked like test tubes along the back wall. As if on cue, the heard a whooshing sound as a woman clad in a form-fitting Cipher uniform dropped from the ceiling in front of them. Liz smirked.

"Seems those idiots weren't up to the task. Oh well, they were weak. Time to take you both down," she said, taking out her Pokéballs. "Come out, Skitty and Duskull!" What came out were two very different Pokémon. The Skitty was a cutely fluffy kitten, while Duskull had a black body with skull-shaped mask over a single glowing red orb that seemed to serve as an eye. Liz stepped forward, sending out Titania and Artemis to start the battle. She smiled like Michael did when she saw that her opponent's Pokémon were both at level 14, compared to her own team's level 17. It wasn't a huge difference, but she had an advantage.

"Artemis, use your new attack on Duskull, Feint Attack! Titania, Fairy Wind on Skitty," she said.

"Skitty, Tackle. Duskull, Night Shade. Both of you, aim for that Sylveon!"

Artemis scowled. She already considered Titania to be one of her close friends. She didn't want her friend getting hurt, so she moved quickly. With a pulse of dark-type energy, she seemed to momentarily vanish before appearing in front of Duskull, delivering a powerful uppercut to the ghost-type.

Sylveon smiled at her friend's protectiveness, then focused her energy into the bow on her neck. That energy began to swirl out along her ribbons. She then put the two ribbons together in front of her body, forming a small, glittering tornado. She then focused to aim the wind directly at the Skitty, who was already bounding at her. It was honestly adorable to see the happy, oblivious feline Pokémon running like the battle was nothing more than a game, but Sylveon needed to end this battle soon for Liz. So, she put all she could into the attack without exhausting herself, just so Skitty wouldn't be hurt any more than necessary. Thankfully, it worked. The attack took Skitty out of the fight, knocking her out. Just as Fairy Wind hit, Teddiursa acted autonomously and used Lick against the Duskull. That seemed to be too much for the ghost-type. Liz smiled as her Pokémon secured an almost easy victory.

"Oh, no…Lovrina's gonna kill me!" the Cipher Peon said, burying her face in her hands. "I need to get out of here, and change my name." She recalled her two Pokémon and ran past the two trainers, roughly shoving them out of the way.

"Seems Cipher doesn't even have trust between their members. They're bound by fear," Liz said. "It's sad, really. Even though it was twisted, at least groups like Team Skull tried to have some kind of familial bonds each other."

"Yeah, and it speaks volumes about how depraved Cipher is," Michael said as he and Liz made their way to an elevator, using the ID card to enter and descend. When they got to the floor below, Michael and Liz found themselves in a starkly white hallway with steel grey floors. They also had corridors on both the left and right, along with a door, which had a sign saying it did not open from their side, straight ahead.

"So…which way," Liz asked.

"Let's go left," Michael said.

"What do you base that choice on?" she asked.

"Well, you _are_ supposed to go left in a maze," Michael said, leading the way through the enemy base. Unfortunately, they were met by the sound of another person dropping from some hideaway space in the ceiling above them.

"That logic is hard to break there. However, I think you chose wrong there," the woman said slyly.

"Hmm…maybe, but meeting an enemy so quickly means that the people in Cipher don't want us going this way," Liz said. "Michael, you're up for this battle."

"Of course," he said, getting ready to call out Nick and Houndour for this battle. It seemed that was a good choice, as his opponent sent out the twin-headed bird, Doduo, and the small black, white, and red bird, Taillow. Michael just smiled, then sent out Houndour and Nick.

The battle took a couple minutes to finish, and the woman sprinted away like Liz's opponent. Michael then took off the Snag Machine and helped put it onto Liz's left arm. He even handed her his Battle Monitor, since it had the Shadow Monitor program. They continued on until they got to another elevator. "Have you ever wondered why these secret bases have such stupidly confusing layouts?" she asked.

Michael looked around with an amused look. "I think it's so they can avoid having break-ins where the culprits can get out by taking one elevator or stairwell."

"Makes sense," Liz said as they entered the elevator up ahead. They descended to the next floor, and they stepped into the next area of the lab with dark, almost black floors, with walls that looked like gigantic coffins. In front of them was a man in a white lab coat, looking at a data read out.

"Seems that XD001's adjustments are going relatively smoothly. Maybe we didn't need that Krane guy after all." He adjusted his glasses and leaned back, noticing the two trainers standing nearby. "Wait, the intruders are here? Damn it, those women failed. I'm not even that much of a battler," he said. "But I will still beat you both!"

It took three minutes for Liz to win against the researcher's Anorith and Lileep. The two prehistoric Pokémon were finished easily by her Artemis and Mareep. The researcher just groaned and recalled his Pokémon. "Damn it. J-just leave my workspace. I'll pretend I never saw you," he said as he sat at his desk and covered his eyes. Michael and Liz quickly switched the Snag Machine and Shadow Monitor between each other, then began walking through the room. It took them five minutes before another woman dropped from the ceiling.

"Okay, here we go," Michael said with a slight groan.

"You little prick, don't you mouth off. Now, come out Swinub and Shuppet!" the woman said angrily.

"Fine. Let's go, Nick and Houndour," Michael said. "Let's win this."

"Swinub, use Powder Snow. Shuppet, use Night Shade," she said, almost sadistically.

"Houndour, Ember on Swinub. Nick, Thunder Shock on Shuppet," Michael said almost nonchalantly. Nick charged his electricity quickly, firing it at the cloaked ghost Pokémon. At the same time, Houndour spat out multiple tongues of flame at the brown, fuzzy ice type. The attacks were very effective against the two Pokémon across from them, knocking out both Pokémon. Unfortunately, this Cipher Peon had one more Pokémon, and her confident smirk told Michael she considered this next one to be much stronger.

"Come out, Spinarak," she said with anger in her voice. The green spider Pokémon came out, and seemed to crouch in readiness. As he landed, the Shadow Monitor gave an alert and showed the black aura from Spinarak.

"Nick, paralyze him!" Michael said. Nick smiled and shot an orb of static electricity at the bug-type. "Houndour, use Shadow Blitz to weaken that Spinarak."

"Shadow Blitz on that Jolteon!" the Cipher woman said. Spinarak and Houndour both gathered their aura, sprinting forward. Spinarak ran through the lightning, enduring the paralysis as he slammed into Nick. The Jolteon staggered back, giving Houndour enough room to crash into the arachnid Pokémon. While Nick had taken more damage, Spinarak was now a prime target for snagging.

Michael moved fast, programming a snag. Once the Pokéball materialized into his palm, he threw it, and the energy hand grabbed the Spinarak and brought it into the Pokéball. The ball rolled briefly until it snapped shut and sparks flew up. Houndour and Jolteon both began to move toward the Pokéball, looking happy with their win. However, just as they got to it, the ball teleported to the HQ Lab. They both looked a little disappointed, although Houndour's expression was markedly more stoic than Jolteon's. Michael smiled and called both his Pokémon to his side, letting the Peon sprint by, presumably going to save her own skin from Lovrina, whoever she was. He then began to treat the injuries of both Pokémon, though Houndour's were less serious than Nick's.

"Great job," Liz said as she took the Snag Machine from Michael, putting it on herself.

"Thanks Liz," Michael said as he finished the healing and recalled the two Pokémon. "You ready to keep going?"

"I was waiting on you," she said with a wink. Michael smiled and walked with her, trying to not look at her attractive form.

 _What would I do without her?_ Michael thought to himself. _I can't even see a future without her in my life._

They went up a small staircase, and, upon arriving in the hallway above, went down the only path forward. They entered a room that looked like a small battle field with a test tube on each corner of the mostly rectangular room. They stopped walking when they heard voices through a wall to the right. While it was muffled, they heard what sounded like a bubbly princess interrogating somebody. Michael's eyes went wide when he recognized the other voice. "Uncle Richard," he said in shock, smiling when he heard his uncle essentially telling his interrogator to fuck off. Michael smirked wider when he heard the woman growl in frustration before shouting loud enough to make out clearly.

"Naps, this is all your fault. Now, stand guard right here. If he gets away, I will be ever so angry with you. You would so do well to not anger me," she said.

Michael and Liz could already tell that, whoever this woman was, she would certainly be annoying. "So, listening to the boss interrogate that pathetic scientist, are we?" said a new voice. The male Cipher Peon behind them began to laugh maniacally.

"Oh, shut up," Liz said as she stood up, getting her Pokéballs out. "And let's battle."

"Fine," he said, taking out his own two Pokéballs. "Come out, Ralts and Voltorb!"

Michael perked up as soon as he heard the man call for a Ralts. When it appeared, along with the Pokéball with eyes, he looked closer. _Is that Gwen's…_

"A male Ralts," Liz said, making it look like she was simply making a note. In reality, she was making sure that Michael knew this wasn't the Ralts they were looking for. "Easy enough. Come out, Titania and Mareep!"

"Confusion, and Sonic Boom!" the Cipher Peon said. "I don't care who you target." The little Ralts began to gather the teal energy of a psychic attack, forming a little ball of power. He then threw the ball at Sylveon. Voltorb rolled back and seemed to quickly whipped forward, sending a cone of air that made a sound like an explosion at Mareep.

"Titania, dodge and use Bite on that Ralts. Mareep, use Shadow Blitz!" Titania smiled and rolled to the side as the Confusion flew by, hitting one of the test tubes, unfortunately not breaking anything. She then ran forward, baring her teeth as dark energy surrounded them. The Sylveon then crashed into the Ralts, biting his neck as the psychic Pokémon was about to roll under her. She then let go with her teeth and wrapped her ribbon around his leg. With a whipping swing, she slammed the Ralts to the ground and smirked when he passed out. Mareep, however, decided to charge straight forward with her aura flaring up as the little sheep plowed into the possessed Pokéball, knocking him out with little effort. This clearly annoyed the Cipher Peon, who recalled his Pokémon.

"Fucking bitch…now, come on out Bagon and Numel!" the man said, sending out a blue bipedal dragon with what looked like a steel helmet, and a yellow and green Pokémon that made Michael think of Brendan Maple's Camerupt, and the videos of his battles with the fire type.

Liz smiled again as the Shadow Monitor beeped loudly. "Another Shadow Pokémon, huh?"

Michael watched on as Liz made almost comically quick work of the Bagon, then had Mareep intercept Numel's Shadow Blitz. That hit only served to paralyze the fire and ground type Pokémon through Mareep's Static ability. Almost immediately after that, Liz had successfully snagged the Numb Pokémon. The Cipher Peon sprinted off after the battle was over.

Liz recalled her two Pokémon, seeing that they really didn't need the healing. She gave the Snag Machine to Michael with a smile. Michael smiled back as he put the machine back on. Despite his smile, Liz knew Michael well enough to know there was something bothering him. They walked down the hall, passing a small panel that looked like it turned on an extremely annoying alarm before they came to an elevator. "Um, Michael, is something wrong?"

"I honestly don't know…" he said. "I just can't shake a bad feeling."

"What feeling is that?" she asked as they got into the elevator.

"It's just…this all seems way too easy. I mean, this is a top-secret lab that Cipher is using to research Shadow Pokémon creation. So…why are all the trainers here so easy to beat?"

"Yeah…now that you mention it…it is kind of strange. I was expecting to struggle through this place…assuming we didn't go the stealth route," she said as they got to the second basement. There they saw a second elevator to their left, with a sign labeled "Employee Lounge"

"Want to go up that way?" Michael asked.

"No way," Liz said. "You really want to go up there and risk walking into a room full of these Stormtrooper rip-offs?"

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that," Michael said with a smile as they continued along the way…for about three feet before a man dropped from the ceiling.

"Why are all of you guys dropping from the ceiling? Seriously, just hide behind a wall or something," Liz asked the Peon.

"Come now, you think we'd just hide like amateurs when we can divebomb your dumb asses and make you piss yourselves," he said with a cocky tone.

Four minutes later, Michael had thrashed the man, using Houndour and Spheal, causing him to leave like all the other Peons earlier, so they continued along. After they had heard Krane's voice on the floor above, Michael and Liz assumed that going north in the hall would bring them to an elevator to Krane's cell. Unfortunately, they quickly found out they were wrong, and had walked straight into the office of a researcher, who subsequently battled Liz, and lost to the brunette quickly just as quickly. Unlike the uniformed peons, the researcher simply returned to his work and ignored the two intruders.

Since they'd clearly gone the wrong way, they left the room, trying their best to keep an eye on the ceiling, trying to find any other ambushes ahead of time. They found one as they got to a fork in the road, making direct eye contact with the woman, who dropped to them, battled Michael, lost badly, and ran. "Left, or right?" Michael asked when they were alone again, switching the Snag Machine back to Liz.

"Right. I can see a doorway and an elevator."

"Want to check that room?" Michael asked.

"Why not?" Liz said with a smirk. "It looks like only two researchers are in there, so it should be an easy tag battle." With the confidence of Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z, they entered the lab and startled the two researchers out of their conversation. Less than ten minutes later, the battle was over, and the two researchers were cowering in the corners out of fear.

Without a word to the two lab coats, Liz and Michael took the nearby elevator, and Michael checked his current stock of Pokéballs. "Okay, we have four Pokéballs left. Let's hope that's enough to get all the Shadow Pokémon."

"Don't worry. If this pattern with them wanting to be snagged continues, then we should be fine," Liz said.

"True…I just wish Pokéballs were sold in Orre…" Michael said. "We could easily stock up if we needed to."

"You know that won't happen until wild Pokémon show up in this region. Until then, PokéMart really has no reason to sell them. They'd probably lose money," Liz said.

"I know," Michael said. "And with the travel ban in Orre, the only hope of us getting Pokéballs is if some region airlifts them to us and gets around the customs of the region."

"We can make it, I promise," Liz said. "Besides, I'm sure there are places that have stocked up on Pokéballs in the past, just hoping for them to sell again."

"Yeah, hopefully," Michael said with a smile as they got to the first basement once again. Almost immediately, they were met by another Cipher Peon dropping from the ceiling.

"Alright, time for you to get the fuck out before Lovrina kills you. Trust me, this is for your own good," the guy said, sounding almost sympathetic. However, he had a venomous undertone to his voice that told Michael this guy was anything but noble.

"Michael, give me the Snag Machine," Liz said as she took the device, glaring at the man in their path.

"Sure, take him out," Michael said. As he spoke, the Peon hit a button on the wall, opening a small pool of water.

"Guess you're not going to leave…then I'll put you in a grave myself, and spare you Lovrina's wrath," he said as he sent out his Pokémon. "Come, Carvanha and Magnemite!" The red and blue fish dove into the clear pool, while the metal eye with a magnet on each side of its body.

"Mareep, Spinarak, come out!" Liz said, getting a beeping alert from the Shadow Monitor, which highlighted the Carvanha in the pool. "Let's make this quick. I'm already bored with this place."

"Carvanha, use Shadow Blitz on Spinarak. Magnemite, use Super Sonic on Mareep!" the peon said angrily. Carvanha leapt from the water with his black aura trailing like a comet. At the same time, Magnemite shrieked at a high pitch, sending sound waves at Mareep.

"Spinarak, use Shadow Blitz on Carvanha. Mareep, dodge and use Shadow Blitz on Magnemite!" Liz said. The spider Pokémon leapt forward and slammed into the Savage Pokémon, his aura trailing the same way Carvanha's aura was doing. Sadly, for the red and blue fish, the collision didn't give him enough of a rebound to get into the water again. Mareep

Spinarak, still being an emotionless machine, continued using Shadow Blitz, knocking the Carvanha away from the water. Liz's eyes went wide as she quickly programmed a snag. She threw the Pokéball quickly and waited on baited breath as it rolled. It snapped shut, causing the man to just shrug and pull out his next Pokémon.

"Whatever, not a loss of substantial worth," he said as Mareep kicked the Pokéball back to Liz. "Psyduck, come!" The yellow duck Pokémon appeared, quacking a little. After the snag, the battle was quick, with Liz overpowering her opponent.

The peon sprinted out of the hallway, so Michael hit a switch on their side of the pool to close the floor over it. "This whole place just feels tedious," he said as he and Liz switched possession of the Snag Machine once again.

"Like we're just walking around and battling nonstop?" Liz added as they continued down the starkly white hallway, where they saw a door leading through what looked like an empty conference room, which then led through the one-way door into the entryway where the first elevator had dropped them. "Alright, guess we're back to where we started," Michael said before they got to the conference room. Inside, there were two researchers, but Michael heard them talking about something that seemed important. Michael motioned for Liz to stop by the door, and they waited to hear what was being said.

"I'm still surprised that Greevil didn't kill anybody here. I didn't even see him," one researcher said.

Another researcher spoke, sounding a little closer to the door. "I did…he has a menacing aura, it's like you get hit by a wave of cold air from a freezer when her walks past."

"I heard a rumor that just his threats made Lovrina piss herself out of fear," the first researcher said. "I actually feel bad for the girl if that's the truth."

"Yeah…she's only 23. The poor thing is barely out of college. Hell, I think she only joined to pay off her loans," the second man said.

"You think so? Lovrina may have financial reasons for joining Cipher, but she's a psychopath if I've ever seen one," the first said.

"Maybe we shouldn't be discussing her like this…" the second said with a tone of fear. "This whole place is filled with recording devices for security. She's probably watching us."

"Actually, I think she went upstairs to vent about something just a little while ago," the first said.

Michael decided he'd had enough waiting. He motioned to Liz that he was going in, and she nodded in agreement. They moved into the conference room and the two researchers looked at them in shock.

"Who the fuck are you two, and how long have you been listening to us?" the one closer to them said.

"Are you seriously asking them that question? They're obviously the intruders," the one sitting a little farther from them said. "And you know I don't have Pokémon. You'll need to handle them yourself."

The first researcher scowled. "Fine. I'll take them out," he said as he took out his two Pokéballs. "Come out, Shroomish, and Snubbull!"

"Seems like I have two weak to Poison types." Michael said with a smirk. That confident expression faded when the shadow monitor responded to the male Shroomish. "Come out, Gulpin, and Nick!"

The researcher went first. "Shadow Blitz on Jolteon. Snubbull, use Bite on Gulpin," he said.

"Gulpin, hit Snubbull with Sludge," Michael countered. "Nick, you know what to do with a Shadow Pokémon!" Shroomish's aura flared up as she ran forward. Snubbull followed her teammate as her teeth began to glow with black energy.

Nick's speed, however, was too much for his opponents, as he fired a purple ball of static electricity, hitting Shroomish perfectly. Unfortunately, Shroomish continued her attack, slamming into the Jolteon with all her might. Michael saw Jolteon's healthbar drop by a third from that single hit. Even as Nick was about to hit the floor beside the conference table, the Jolteon refused to lose, letting loose with a Thunder Shock while the grass-type was in contact with him. He landed hard and rolled apart from Shroomish. Michael saw that Shroomish's health had dropped by a third as well, so he programmed a snag, silently watching Snubbull lunge at Gulpin just in time to get a mouth full of Gulpin's Sludge attack. Snubbull coughed and gagged to get the substance out of her mouth. Gulpin moved forward with a Shadow Blitz, slamming into the fairy-type hard, and knocking her out.

"Nice hit Gulpin," Michael said as he put his arm out. The Pokéball formed in his hand, and he threw the ball quickly. Shroomish was pulled inside by the energy hand, and the ball began to roll on the ground, snapping shut quickly. "Yes, another snag," Michael said. Nick moved quickly to pick up the Pokéball and bring it to Michael. Michael scratched Nick pleasantly behind the ears. "Thanks, buddy. You're doing great out there."

Nick barked happily as the researcher pulled out his last Pokéball. "Come out, Kecleon."

"A Kecleon?" Michael asked with an interested tone. The chameleon Pokémon was a tricky creature. If it had the Color Change ability, which changed its type to the type of the attack that had just dealt it damage, this battle would be easy. If it had Protean, on the other hand, then it would be a little more difficult. The battle was over a minute later, due to the Kecleon's ability being Color Change, and because Shadow Blitz had done more damage than Michael expected. Once the battle ended, Shroomish's Pokéball was sent to the HQ Lab.

"Ack, damn it!" the researcher said. "I'm leaving before Lovrina finds out." He began to sprint away, seemingly unaware that he'd left his ID card on the table.

"Must be our lucky day," Liz said as she picked up the new card. She then turned to the other researcher. "You, help us with something."

The other researcher sighed. "Go ahead. I have no intention of interfering with you."

Michael saw where Liz was going with her questioning, so he took out the other ID the Hexagon Brothers had dropped. Liz took the other card and placed them both on the table in front of the man.

"We have two ID cards. Is there a difference between them?" Liz asked.

The man sighed and picked up each of the cards. "Of course, the Hexagon Brothers fucked up…" he said. "But their IDs only had basic clearance. The researchers and stronger Peons have higher clearance through the lab."

"Such as?" Michael asked.

"This card," the man said, showing the researcher's ID card. "Will allow you to access the prisoner chambers."

 _Uncle Richard must be there_ , Michael thought. "I'm guessing that we just need to go left when we get to the intersection ahead?"

"Yeah, that's correct," the man said. "Is that all you needed?"

"That should be it," Liz said. "Thank you for your help." She tossed the ID from the Hexagon Brothers. "There's your payment."

"Funny," the researcher said stoically. "I only talked because you have Pokémon…I couldn't defend myself if I wanted to."

"Doesn't really matter. Try to get out of Cipher if you can, for your own good," Michael said as he and Liz went through the one-way door.

"Ready? We're going to save Dr. Krane," Liz said, playfully nudging Michael.

"More than you know," he said as they followed the hallway toward what looked like an employee locker room. They were immediately met with a man in a lab coat in the room.

"You intruders are here already?" he asked, sounding scared. "There's no way I can beat you…I need to get Lovrina to deal with you!" Before Michael or Liz could reply, the man pushed through them, and ran toward the lab's exit.

"Well, there's an obstacle out of the way," Michael said with a chuckle. Liz smiled as they got to the elevator beside them. "Let's go and put an end to this lab's operation."

"Sounds great," Liz said as they came into a dark, metal computer lab. It was small, with only one staircase, from which both Michael and Liz could hear the voice of Dr. Krane. It sounded like he was telling whoever was with him why making Shadow Pokémon was so horrible.

"And there he is," Michael said as they went up the stairs and entered the small room, which looked almost like an office space in the HQ lab.

"So, Naps, do you understand now?" Dr. Krane said. The Cipher member with yellow-streaked armor, from whom Michael had snagged Artemis, was seated across from Dr. Krane with his head in his hands.

"Look, I know that you're right, and I agree with you…" Naps said.

"Then why stay in Cipher? You could help us," Dr. Krane said, his hands bound behind him, with zip-ties keeping him in the chair. Michael also noticed a few bruises on his cheeks, and his uncle's black eye.

Naps shook his head. "No, I can't leave Cipher…not while my little sister is trapped in the organization," he said. "I can't leave Lovrina alone to suffer. She's already losing her mind with me here…I can't imagine how she'd be if I wasn't here for her."  
That's when Dr. Krane noticed the two new people in the room. "Michael, Liz!" he said with a smile. "I knew you'd get here eventually."

"Uncle, are you okay?" Michael said, passing Naps without any obstructions, going behind the doctor's chair to break the ties.

Krane chuckled. "Yeah. Nothing that won't heal completely within a week," he said as his hands were unbound for the first time since the night before.

"Glad to hear it," Michael said as he hugged his uncle. "And glad to see you're okay."

"Me too," Liz said, hugging Dr. Krane after Michael let him go. "The lab hasn't been the same without you."

"Ahem," Naps said, standing up. "Look, my heart's all warm now that you three are having a reunion, but I still need to stop you from leaving."

Michael looked at him. "You can't be serious after what we just heard you saying."

Naps glared. "Look, I'm sorry, but if we fail the Grand Master here, there's a chance he'll kill Lovrina. I can't let my little sister go through that."

Michael started to feel sympathetic for Naps. "You know, I have a little sister too," he said. "I get that you're defending her, but at some point, you've got to realize if you're doing something wrong. You both need to leave Cipher for your own sake."

Naps shook his head. "We can't do that…not while Greevil is still holding the reins of Cipher. If she leaves and betrays him, he WILL kill her."

Michael nodded in understanding. "Do you have a Shadow Pokémon with you right now?" he asked.

"No," Naps said, shaking his head. "Teddiursa was the only one I was assigned."

"Then, Liz," Michael said with a smile to his friend. "Would you like to show him how much Artemis has changed?"

"Sounds like fun to me," she said with a smirk. While the room was relatively small, they could still have a double battle here. Michael and Dr. Krane just needed to step out of the way. "Are you ready, Naps?"

He took out two Pokéballs. "Show me what you've got. Beldum, Murkrow, it's time for a battle," he said as he sent out a Pokémon that looked like a blue metal arm with an eye, and a black bird Pokémon with feathers pluming like a mobster's hat.

"Then I'll pick Mareep, and Artemis." Liz said. The electric sheep appeared alongside the small bear Pokémon, and Naps seemed to be stunned on the spot.

"She's been purified?" he asked.

"She has," Liz said with confidence. "And this adorable little baby just loves honey and hugs." Her tone and Artemis nodding enthusiastically told Naps exactly how much Cipher had changed the Shadow Pokémon. Turning them from energetic and playful creatures into weapons.

"Okay…I get it…and I see that your Shadow Mareep is getting closer to being purified too," he said. "Seems you two have unusually strong bonds with Pokémon. Regardless, Beldum, use Take Down on Mareep. Murkrow, use Peck on Artemis!" Murkrow began to fly as he raced towards Teddiursa. The little bear would have none of it, grabbing Murkrow out of the air by his beak before powering up a Metal Claw and raking her claws across the bird's body, knocking it out fast.

Mareep responded to Beldum's similar charge by firing a Thunder Shock at the Steel-Type. Unfortunately, the little sheep's attack didn't fully halt Beldum's attack. The Steel-Type slammed into Mareep, taking some damage of its own from the impact.

Naps recalled Murkrow. "I see…she's much stronger now than she was as a Shadow Pokémon," he said, sending out a Slakoth. Michael had to resist turning into a fanboy over the sloth Pokémon, as it had been one of Brendan Maple's Pokémon, growing into an incredibly powerful Slaking.

"Mareep, use another Thunder Shock to finish Beldum!" Liz said. "Artemis, use Return on Slakoth!"

Artemis seemed to already be moving and gathering energy for the attack when Liz called for it. The Teddiursa barreled at Slakoth with a great deal of power, with four hearts forming after the impact. At the same time Mareep gathered electricity quickly, firing it at the levitating steel-type. Both of Naps's Pokémon fainted from the hits. "Nice job you two!" Liz said excitedly.  
"Don't celebrate yet," Naps said. "Come out, Rhyhorn!" With a massive thud, the armored rhino appeared, glaring competitively at his opponent.

"Oh no…" Liz said quietly. While Mareep had Shadow Blitz as a substitute, Liz knew that the ground type could be trouble with his powerful defense. Artemis, however, looked at her trainer confidently, her claws glittering like polished metal as she ran at Rhyhorn. She then jumped onto his back, like a she was in a rodeo as she clawed at his back. Rhyhorn, however, stayed strong as he shot a blob of mud at Mareep, hoping to deal some damage before Teddiursa finished him off.

Mareep, however, simply jumped to the side of the mud, gathering her aura as she ran at the Spikes Pokémon, slamming into the creature to deal the finishing blow. Artemis hopped off her opponent's back as he passed out and fell to the ground. "And that's the battle!" Liz said excitedly.

"Yeah, great job," Michael said happily, wanting to hug her, but deciding against it given their company. She just smiled at him, knowing that Michael was holding off on his true intentions for celebration.

Naps sighed and recalled Rhyhorn. "You two can celebrate if you want…but Lovrina is a lot stronger than me as a trainer," he said as he left. "Fight well…or she will take all three of you hostage and have your Pokémon turned into Shadows."

Despite never having met Lovrina, Michael could already tell, just based on everything he'd heard about the woman today, Naps was being honest. Michael knew he'd need to fight at his best if they were to escape from just one of Cipher's Admins.

 **And that's the chapter. Glad to be back into the swing of things. Adjusting to my new job took some time, but it's been worth it. Now I have a relatively open schedule, and I can write a lot faster.**

 **I should tell you all that, for my own sanity, I am going to glance over battles without Shadow Pok** **émon (I'm taking a page from Chuggaaconroy's LP of XD, given the sheer number of battles with trainers in the game).**

 **As always, please leave a review. I would really appreciate the feedback so I can improve my writing.**

 **Next chapter is the battle with Lovrina. Until then ~ jmoul18**


	11. Chapter 11 - Lovrina

_Lovrina_

"Uncle, are you sure you're okay?" Michael asked as he saw Dr. Krane limping slightly. "You're not walking normally."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. They just got a bit violent with their interrogations," Richard said with a smile, though both Michael and Liz could tell it wasn't true. Dr. Krane was hurting severely, but he wanted to put on a brave face so they wouldn't worry. They continued to the elevator going up quickly to the upper basement, going through the locker room, getting to the room before the elevator out of the lab. Unlike all the other elevators they'd come to before this one, however, the platform was not on this level. Despite this, they could hear it descending. When the door opened, Dr. Krane gasped slightly, and when the girl with strawberry-blonde, almost pink, hair in pigtails that almost touched the ground. She stood around 5'5" and the look on her face was that of a psychotic maniac. Behind her was the researcher that Michael and Liz had seen run out of the lab from the locker room.

"Dr. Krane, you oh, so, should not be out of your cell. It makes me oh so angry," the girl said. "We so need you to complete our research for XD001. It is oh so important." Her tone left no room for debate, but Dr. Krane was done with Cipher.

"You must be joking!" he said. "I made it clear to you that I will never help with your horrific plans. That hasn't changed in the twenty minutes since you've been outside the lab."

Lovrina huffed angrily. "You are so getting punished for that!" she said, turning to Michael and Liz. "You two, you so must get what I'm saying. Won't you tell Dr. Krane about my oh so marvelous plan?"

Michael just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, just let me, the guy who's trying to snag and purify every shadow Pokémon, tell my uncle why he should support you," he said. "I will get right on that."

Dr. Krane and Liz both smiled lightly, seeing that Michael was going to be an ass to this woman, who the two teens realized was Lovrina. She glared and stomped her foot like when Jovi would throw temper tantrums when she was four. "Uuuugh, you're so useless. I so knew you would be an annoying little brat!" she almost shrieked. "Fine. I will so just have to beat you now!"

"Liz, mind if I take this battle?" Michael asked. "I've got a bone to pick with this girl."

"Do it, and humiliate her," Liz said.

"Exactly my plan," he said, getting a notification that both Spheal and Houndour were now ready to be purified. He smiled. _You'll be back to normal soon_.

Lovrina pulled out her two Pokéballs, her demeanor changing quickly from that of a slightly bubbly, quirky girl to that of a psychopath about to start a mass murder. She sent out her two Pokémon. "Come out, Clamperl and Beautifly!"

Michael got chills down his spine from her expression just from how easily her façade fell. _Naps said she's being driven crazy…but that's not the face of a person losing it. She's in her natural element, and she's just faking it until she can let loose._ He picked his two Pokémon carefully. "Let's win this, Houndour, and Seedot!" he called. He then saw the levels of both of Lovrina's Pokémon. Clamperl was level 20, and Beautifly was level 21. _My whole team is lower leveled, except for Nick. I'll need to play this smart._

"Houndour, Ember on Beautifly. Seedot, Bullet Seed on Clamperl," Michael said. Houndour howled briefly, before spitting out multiple tongues of fire at the multi-colored insect. At the same time, Seedot began spitting out seeds rapidly.

"Gust and Iron Defense," Lovrina said with a terrifyingly fake sweetness to her voice. Beautifly beat her wings, sending the air into a swirling tornado, snuffing out Houndour's Ember before flying toward Seedot. Simultaneously, the little blue clam shell Pokémon closed her shell, which began to glow with a metallic light. While Michael saw the health bar of the little water type drop, it was much slower than it should've gone with the onslaught. That only got worse as Seedot was hit with the swirling Gust.

The latter attack sent Seedot reeling backwards, and he lost almost half of his health from that attack. Seedot jumped back into the fray, firing a Shadow Wave at both of the opponents. This time, the attack hit and did some damage.

Lovrina, however, just smirked. "And it seems that you're so the same as Cipher, using Shadow Pokémon to win your battles."

"Oh, you can go straight to Hell!" Michael said. "I'm helping restore them to their natural states. You turned them into machines."

Lovrina smirked. "Keep telling yourself that. It's oh so amusing."

"Seedot, use Shadow Wave again," Michael said, deciding to block out the annoying woman's words. "Houndour, try another Ember on Beautifly. I know you can do it!"

Both of his Pokémon began to gather their energy for their attacks. Houndour leapt forward and shot fire at the butterfly Pokémon in front of him. The flames hit their mark, almost burning holes through Beautifly's wings, making her fall out of the air. With her mobility lowered, neither Beautifly nor Clamperl could dodge Seedot's Shadow Wave. Michael silently cheered as both of Lovrina's Pokémon passed out.

"Fine," Lovrina said, calling back her first pair. "But you won't get by my next two. "Come out and kill, Roselia and Delcatty!"

The smaller Pokémon was looked like she was a green rose bush with one blue rose, and one red rose. The larger one was a cat-like Pokémon with cream-colored fur that tufted with purple around her ears, neck, and tail. What normally would've been bright eyes seemed like they were cold and lifeless. Michael barely needed the Shadow Monitor to know that Delcatty was the Shadow Pokémon. When his monitor beeped, Michael was more focused on its level. _Oh, shit…it's level 25, and the Roselia is level 22?_ Michael asked mentally. _I'm outclassed._

"I can, like, so see it on your face," Lovrina said, sounding more insane with each second. "You know you can't win against me."

"You may have a stronger Pokémon, but I have a better bond with my Pokémon. That will be the deciding factor," Michael said. "Seedot, Shadow Wave. Houndour, use Ember on Roselia!" The fire hound howled angrily, spitting a ball of fire much larger than before. The ball of fire was joined by Seedot's ball of shadow energy, but Roselia countered easily, firing a Poison Sting into the Shadow Wave, and simply dodging the fire as it fizzled out on the floor, charring the metal.

"Delcatty, you should, like, so use Shadow Rush. Take out those weak Pokémon," Lovrina said. "Roselia, Leech Seed on Houndour."

Roselia fired a cluster of seeds from her flower hands, aiming for Houndour. The fire-type responded by showing that his instincts were beginning to return, firing a ball of flame at the seeds, torching them before they could take root. That ball of flame was followed by Houndour sprinting forward, his shadow aura flaring up.

Delcatty intercepted his Shadow Blitz with a much faster, and much more powerful attack, clawing at the fire-type, hitting his back left leg. The impact sent Houndour tumbling across the floor, and the fire-type yelped in pain. Michael didn't need the monitor to see that Houndour was out of the battle. The sound of the Pokémon whining softly in pain got Michael to his side in a moment. "Houndour!" he called out, seeing Seedot's Shadow Wave hit Roselia hard, dropping the thorn Pokémon's health significantly. "Good job, Seedot, give it one more shot," Michael said, looking over Houndour briefly. He noticed a deep cut across his thigh where Delcatty had hit him. He immediately knew that Houndour needed to be recalled. "Houndour, thank you for fighting so hard. Please, get some rest. I promise we'll win this." The Dark Pokémon whined softly as he returned to his Pokéball.

Michael stood up, glaring at Lovrina now. "Oh, did I hurt the wittwe hewo's fwiend?" Lovrina taunted, her crazed look getting more horrifying.

"Yes, you did," Michael said, his voice dripping with anger. "I'd say I'm going to take your friend as payback…but it's clear that you don't have friends." He sent out Nick as he spoke.

Lovrina's expression turned from malice to shock, feeling Michael's words cut straight to her soul. "You'll regret that, prick!" she said, her anger causing her to drop the bubbly attitude and speech. Her eyes ablaze with a malicious fury. "Delcatty, use Shadow Rush on that insignificant Jolteon!" The Shadow Pokémon's aura flared up once again, ignoring Seedot as he fired another Shadow Wave, hitting both Roselia and Delcatty. The Thorn Pokémon passed out, earning a scoff from Lovrina. "And you'll regret losing when you go without any food or light for a week." She was whispering harshly, so neither Michael nor Liz heard her.

"Nick, time to paralyze that Delcatty," Michael said. Nick nodded and fired a ball of static at Delcatty. The Shadow Pokémon was already running at Nick, her aura trailing behind her like a comet. She ran straight through the electricity, charging forward slamming into Jolteon, hitting her mark hard.

Nick tumbled like Houndour had earlier, luckily without the same type of injury the fire-type had sustained. He got up as Seedot fired another Shadow Wave, taking Delcatty's health down past the halfway mark. Michael knew this was the threshold where snags would succeed. He quickly programmed a snag, then held out his arm. As soon as the ball materialized, he threw it. Delcatty was pulled inside like the other Shadow Pokémon had been, and the ball began to roll.

Michael began to relax, as Shadow Pokémon usually stayed inside the ball when they were being snagged. He was about to take a step forward when Dr. Krane shouted. "Michael, don't go near it!" Michael stopped just as the ball began to crack, shattering as Delcatty reappeared.

"Wait, it failed?" he asked rhetorically.

Lovrina began to laugh maniacally. "Looks like your worthless attempt to save this pathetic tool of a Pokémon was just as pitiful," she said.

Michael didn't respond, seeing that he only had one Pokéball left. He needed to catch Delcatty with this next attempt. He hadn't failed to snag a Shadow Pokémon yet, and he didn't want to know what would happen if he failed to catch one. "Seedot, Shadow Wave. Nick, use Quick Attack!" The sentient acorn Pokémon fired off a single orb of his aura. Nick then sprinted forward, hitting Delcatty from the side. The normal-type then took another hit from Seedot's slower Shadow Wave. This time, Delcatty's health was down to just below a quarter of the maximum, and Michael could see that she was getting exhausted.

"Delcatty, you useless cat, kill that Jolteon now!" Lovrina shouted, her voice giving all the observers the impression that she was giving the Shadow Pokémon a silent threat. Michael programmed a snag, throwing his last Pokéball.

 _Come on,_ Michael silently prayed as Delcatty was pulled into a Pokéball once again. _This has to work. I can't leave Delcatty with this psychopath._ As if Delcatty's soul heard him, the ball snapped shut. He breathed a sigh of slight relief, worrying for the other Pokémon that Lovrina still had with her. The Pokéball teleported to the HQ Lab as he recalled Nick and Seedot, thanking them for fighting so hard.

"Fuck!" Lovrina shouted. "Listen, you fucking brat!" She pointed at Michael, rage, fear, and what might've been excitement swirling in her eyes. "You'd better watch your fucking back, because I am going to kill you for this! Don't think this will stop Cipher either. XD001 WILL be completed, and it'll fuck you up without even trying!"

Michael blinked in slight shock at the verbal onslaught, only to be surprised more when Lovrina ran to the elevator, pushing the researcher who had gone to get her early. The man stumbled and hit the wall, something small falling out of his pocket from the impact. Neither he, nor Lovrina noticed it as he ran after her into the elevator. Lovrina kept a venomous glare focused directly on Michael alone as she and the researcher went up to the next level, further cementing the seriousness of her threat. "Uncle," Michael said once the Cipher members vanished from sight.

"Yes, Michael?" he asked.

"We need to increase security at the lab," Michael said, while Liz walked over to pick up what the scientist had dropped.

"Yeah, I agree," Dr. Krane said. "Any ideas?"

"I think the Shadow Pokémon who don't want to go fight Cipher directly when they're purified would be better suited going to people at the HQ Lab," Michael said. "That way, they aren't sitting in storage, and we can protect our home."

Dr. Krane smiled. "I like the idea," he said. "Sounds like something that should've been implemented a while ago."

"But, it's strange," Michael said. "I like that we beat Cipher here, but it felt way too easy. I know there's going to be more to this. Question is…where should we go from here."

"Hey, guys," Liz said. "I think we might have a lead." She stood up and brought over what looked like an SD card. "Who knows, we might be able to get some information off this thing."

"Let me see that," Dr. Krane said as the elevator returned to their floor, likely due to Lovrina or the researcher bumping the button in a rush to get out of the lab. Liz gave the memory card to Krane, who looked it over carefully. "This is likely encrypted. I think Datan might be able to get us the answers we need."

Michael smiled slightly before looking at Houndour's Pokéball, almost hearing the dog still whining in pain from the gash. "We need to get Houndour help first. We should stop in Agate Village first…plus we can purify any Pokémon who are ready for the process," he said.

"Agreed," Liz and Dr. Krane said together.

"Although, Michael, I'm guessing you used your scooter to get here," Dr. Krane said.

"Yeah…and there's barely enough room for Liz and Jovi behind me," Michael started to realize what this meant.

"Let's go up and see if there are any vehicles we can use. If that van is still there, maybe we can take that," Liz said.

"I don't know how to hotwire anything," Michael said.

"I do," Dr. Krane said, laughing when Michael and Liz gave him shocked looks. "It's something I figured out when I was getting my doctorate in engineering. If you know which wires to use, you can hotwire any vehicle."

"Awesome," Michael said, realizing that his uncle was cooler than he'd known. The elevator took them to the main entrance, but Michael stopped to try the healing machine he'd used after beating the Hexagon Brothers. "Of course, of _fucking_ course that bitch broke the machine on her way out," he said when he saw that the power cord had been pulled out of the socket and cut just before the plug.

"Michael, don't worry, we'll get Houndour healed in Agate Village," Liz said. "He won't bleed out from that cut. Plus, I'm pretty sure Pokéballs have a function that puts seriously wounded Pokémon into a stasis."

"I don't want to risk it," Michael said, with a sigh. "But we have no choice." He pulled out his P-DA, feeling some relief that it would only be an hour of driving.

"Come on, we can't waste any time," Liz said gently. They walked to the door, seeing that the red van used in Dr. Krane's abduction was still there.

"I'm going to get my scooter, and we'll put it in the back," Michael said, running to where he'd hidden the scooter from view. Luckily, it was still untouched. He started the motor and drove it over to the red van, only to see a bleak look on Dr. Krane's face. "Don't tell me…"

"Lovrina must've cut the brake line. There's a puddle of fluid under the van. There's no way we can take this thing anywhere."

"Well, looks like we'll have to all fit on the scooter," Michael said, giving goggles to Liz and his Uncle.

"Are you sure it can fit us all?" Dr. Krane asked.

"We have to at try," Michael said, his voice showing his concern. Reluctantly, Dr. Krane and Liz both got onto the scooter, giving Michael just a few inches for him to sit on. He revved the engine, and the machine began to move, albeit slowly at first. Once the engine started to work, the scooter picked up speed as they went over the slightly shallow sand.

* * *

"You imbecile!" Lovrina shouted, all her bubbly pretenses gone as she and the researcher she'd left with drove off, having taken Lovrina's armored pink sportscar from her personal garage in the lab. "How could you lose that SD Card?"

"It's not my fault!" he said. "It must've fallen out when y-." Before he could even finish speaking, Lovrina sent one the Pokémon on her real team, a male Gardevoir nearly at level 80, into the backseat of the car. A second later, the researcher had teleported out of the car. He reappeared a moment later…directly in front of the car, which was pushing ninety miles an hour, looking directly at Lovrina. He didn't even have time to register his situation before the car hit, making every major bone in the man's body practically shatter from the initial impact. He then went cartwheeling over the car, landing headfirst on the hard ground. His body was completely destroyed, with blood pooling into the sand beneath him, not that it mattered. The researcher had died on the impact.

Lovrina, however, didn't show any reactions other than to turn on her windshield cleaner. Any other blood on her car would blend in with the paintjob for now. "Nice job, Gardevoir," she said, recalling the Pokémon before starting a phone call on her car phone.

"What is it, Lovrina?" Ardos said as he answered.

"Sir, we have a problem. One of the incompetent researchers dropped a SD Card, and I'm pretty sure the Orison boy and his little whore picked it up," she said.

"I see…and the researcher?" Ardos asked coldly.

"I just dealt with him. We're in the middle of the desert right now, so nobody will find him," she said just as coldly as her superior. "Should I pursue Orison?"

"Good work with your subordinate. We cannot tolerate failure in our ranks. Don't worry about the SD card, though," Ardos said. "All of our memory cards are heavily encrypted, and they have a transmitter inside which activates whenever they're being used. We will recover it without trouble."

"Understood, sir. Shall I return to base?" she asked.

"Go to the Factory. XD001 is there at the moment. Finish your adjustments with it, then go north of Gateon. We'll bring you to base once you're there," Ardos said.

"Orders received," Lovrina said. "I had a feeling you'd say that, so I'm on my way there now. Out of curiosity, have we decided on who will take that famous Ralts yet?"

"You'll need to ask Gorigan when you get to the factory. I will say that she isn't going to any executives. A Ralts only at level 20 is of no use to us," Ardos said.

"Agreed," she said with a smirk. "I'll be in contact if anything urgent comes up."

"And Lovrina," Ardos said, getting the chief researcher's attention. "The Grand Master would like to congratulate you on pulling off such a convincing performance. You almost had him thinking you'd actually started talking as you were told to act. To be honest, I'm pretty sure you've convinced your own brother that your front is the true you."

Lovrina smiled. "Please, thank him for me," she said. "Besides, like I said when you recruited me: I'm a natural at deception."

"Don't push your luck," Ardos said coldly before hanging up. Lovrina, however, felt like she was positively glowing. The Grand Master _praised_ her for her work. This was a great day for her. She'd killed a man, severely wounded a traitorous Pokémon, she was getting praise from her boss, and she'd inadvertently given Cipher a way to find their enemies.

"The only way this gets any better is if I can torture a Pokémon with Gorigan," she said to herself.

* * *

Michael was shocked at how uneventful the drive to Agate Village was as they drove up the wooden bridge. It seemed almost as if Cipher was letting them go. He'd been expecting them to pursue them in some form, but nothing had happened other than the occasional interesting rock formation. He didn't question it too much. This was gift Ponyta, and he wasn't about to look it in the mouth.

He just parked the scooter outside the Pokémon Center, and walked briskly toward the door. Dr. Krane and Liz followed closely, knowing that Michael was nervous about Houndour. Despite their effort, neither could keep pace with Michael, getting through the door as he got to the counter.

"Nurse, my Houndour needs urgent treatment," Michael said, the nurse looking a bit taken aback at how nervous he sounded. However, her years in this job had helped her in dealing with frantic visitors.

"What's the problem?" she asked, recognizing this boy as the one Eagun had spread word about, saying that he was combating Cipher and purifying Shadow Pokémon. Since Michael hadn't visited until after purifying Artemis, Ella, and Francis, the nurse hadn't seen anything to really convince her that Cipher and Shadow Pokémon were really back.

"He got a huge cut on his back leg, and it's really deep," he said.

"Alright, please come with me," the nurse said, leading him to an operating room with multiple pieces of medical equipment. She closed the door, leaving Dr. Krane and Liz outside. "Please let him out onto the table." She gestured for a titanium table that looked very sterile.

"Umm…just a warning, Houndour isn't exactly…normal," Michael said as he sent out the Pokémon. Luckily, the wound hadn't gotten worse during their drive from the Cipher lab. Houndour looked exhausted right now, but the cold aura around him almost filled the room.

"Is he…a shadow Pokémon?" she asked, remembering this type of sensation from her time as an intern when Wes saved Orre.

"Yes, I'm taking him to be purified once he's healed," Michael said, petting Houndour on his neck and behind his ear. He was surprised when Houndour looked at him with a glint of thankfulness in his eyes, then licked the palm of his hand gently.

"I see," the nurse said. "In that case, I will get to work. Normally, with a Houndour, it will help if their trainer is in the room while I'm performing the operation."

"I'll stay here for him," Michael said as a Blissey enters the operating room with the medicine and needed surgical supplies. The nurse smiled at the kindness Michael was showing as she administered localized anesthesia into the Pokémon's leg.

"We'll be done in no time," the nurse said as she picked up a healing potion that looked more potent than what was sold in PokéMarts. It was also labeled "Houndour/Houndoom" on the side.

 _Must be prescription strength medicine,_ Michael thought as the nurse lightly spritzed the fluids on the wound, wiping away excess. It took very little time to heal Houndour's wound, making the puppy perk up slightly. When the bottle had been emptied of medicine, Michael looked at Houndour's leg, relieved to see that it looked like it had never been injured in the first place. "Wow, that looks perfect," he said.

"Yeah, he'll be just fine," the nurse said, picking up a small bottle of pain pills. "Just give him one of these in the morning until they're out. He should be able to walk easily by then."

Michael saw that there were only five pills. "Got it," he said, petting the little puppy softly. "Is he well enough to go through purification?"

"Of course. To be honest, the process might even help him heal faster," the nurse said. Michael smiled, picking up Houndour gently.

"Thank you so much," Michael said, Houndour looking tired as he was carried out of the operating room. Liz and Dr. Krane perked up when the door opened, both looking relieved when they saw the healthy Pokémon.

"He's okay!" Liz said with a smile, wanting to hold the puppy too, but he looked too comfortable draped over Michael's arms.

"Yeah, and he should be fine to go through purification too," Michael said happily. "Uncle, do you want to come with us to the Relic Stone?"

"That sounds wonderful," Dr. Krane said with a smile. "Besides, it will take a while for Lily to get here."

"Wait, Mom is coming here?" Michael asked as they walked out of the Pokémon Center.

"She is. I called the HQ Lab while you were with Houndour. Lily is driving to Agate as fast as she can, but it will take her about an hour to arrive," he said. "She did say that she was bringing her two-seat car, so the 'two-lovebirds' could ride home together."

Liz and Michael blushed together as they entered the cave leading to the Relic Stone. "L-lovebirds?" Liz asked with an embarrassed tone.

"Oh, don't be so embarrassed. Everybody at the lab knows you two like each other. You might as well just make it official," Dr. Krane said teasingly.

Michael cleared his throat. "Maybe we should discuss these things another time," he said as they got to the shrine's clearing. The warm and welcoming energy around them seemed to make Houndour wake up. Michael checked his other Shadow Pokémon as well, seeing that only Spheal was ready to be purified. Others were close, but they weren't there yet.

"Alright, Spheal and Houndour, we'll stop by the Name Rater before Mom gets here," he said with a smile as he set Houndour on the ground. By the Relic Stone. Dr. Krane and Liz waited behind the two of them, with Krane looking rather excited to see a real purification.

"Alright, buddy, let's get you back to your normal self," he said as he and the dark Pokémon touched the stone together.

As with the other purifications, green energy surrounded and entered Houndour's body, purging all remaining Shadow from his heart. When the process ended, and Houndour came out of his daze, the puppy began to wag his tail, jumping excitedly and playfully to get Michael's attention. He didn't need to wait long, as Michael picked him up. Houndour didn't stop there, as he licked the trainer's face happily. "Thank you, buddy!" Michael said through laughed as he held the newly purified fire-type. "Ready to get your friend purified too?" Houndour's happy bark got Michael smiling as he let out the little Spheal. Houndour, however, seemed recognize the water type immediately, as his excitement grew. Michael and Spheal went through the purification, and, when Spheal came to, the recognition was clear for him too. Michael set Houndour on the ground only for Spheal to gently throw a ball of ice into the air for Houndour.

The little puppy jumped up, catching the ball out of the air, mirth from the game he was now playing with the water-type. Michael was engrossed with watching the two Pokémon, also seeing that both of them had progressed to level 20 upon being purified. He didn't notice Liz approaching behind him, hugging his arm softly. "You're making a huge difference for these Pokémon," she said, kissing him on the cheek, not caring that they were being watched by Dr. Krane.

"I know…and you are too," Michael said. "You know, I think Mareep might be ready to be purified soon as well."

"Mind checking?" Liz asked, holding up Mareep's Pokéball. Michael used the monitor to scan the ball, and saw that Mareep was likely less than another hour away from being purified.

"If the chamber is done when we get home, I think you'll be the first one to purify a Shadow Pokémon with it," he said confidently.

Liz's smile widened as he said that. "Good. I can't wait to see how she turns out when she's normal."

Dr. Krane just smiled in the background, remembering how Lily had been with Sam when they were dating. _Sam, I swear, Michael is your carbon copy…you must be as proud as Lily. After all, I'm proud to simply be his uncle._

 **And that's the chapter. The two Shadows will have their (already revealed) names returned to them next chapter. Plus, Michael and Liz will make their way to Pyrite Town.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it. As usual, please leave a review letting me know what you thought, and where I can improve. Thank you all for reading.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	12. Chapter 12 - ONBS

_ONBS_

Shortly after purifying Houndour and Spheal, Michael went up to the Name Rater's tent, seeing the Hoppip Tribe decorations still around the walls. "Welcome once again, Michael and Liz," the Name Rater said, sitting in his usual spot for his job. "And welcome to you as well, Dr. Krane. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Chief Kotori, good to see you too. It's been three years, right?" Dr. Krane said. "How are the wife and kids?"

"They're all doing well, Ankti is about to bear our third child," Kotori said with a polite smile. "You look like you've seen some rough times recently."

"Oh, the bruises? They're nothing," Dr. Krane said. "Just a gift from Cipher."

"I see. You'll need to tell me about it sometime soon," Kotori said. "For now, how might I be of service to you?"

"I have two Pokémon that need to get their names back," Michael said, sending out Houndour. "He's an energetic one, though." To prove his trainer's words, Houndour began jumping around the room, barking happily and seemingly trying to get attention from everybody in the room at the same time.

Kotori laughed as he petted the little Pokémon. "I didn't even need to ask him. He's saying 'Hi, I'm Erebus, please be my friend!' Though, to be honest, Erebus here is likely only a puppy by Houndour standards. He's not quite at the level of power befitting one named for a primordial deity of darkness…the one known as Darkrai.

"Well, I can't say no to such a happy face. Even if he's not at that level right now, I'm sure he can make it there easily." Michael said as Erebus rolled over beside his trainer. Michael just smiled and rubbed the little puppy's belly happily while letting out Spheal. "And this is the other little guy who was just purified."

Kotori spoke to Spheal briefly before speaking. "Hmmm…seems he has a name belonging to the same region as Erebus," he said with a chuckle. "He is Boreas, named for the god of the northern wind…a Suicune from southeastern Kalos."

"Wait, isn't there only one of each legendary Pokémon?" Michael asked in some confusion, petting Boreas and Erebus together.

"It depends on which ones you mean," Kotori said. "Those responsible for creation itself, such as the dragons of Sinnoh, the weather trio of Hoenn, or Mew, those are each only one in number. However, those associated with world maintenance, such as Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, or the bird trio, there are a set of them for each region. Unfortunately, Orre long since lost those creatures."

"Didn't Wes capture and purify Entei, Raikou, and Suicune ten years ago?" Michael asked.

Kotori nodded. "That he did. He then released them, knowing that they were needed across Orre. To be honest, those three alone have helped to improve the condition of this region," he said. "But, the bird trio of this region is still missing without a trace. That alone makes the region struggle."

"That's certainly true, Kotori," Lily said from the doorway, surprising everybody inside the building.

"Uncle Richard!" Jovi said happily as she leapt through the door, hugging the man happily. "I missed you so much!"

"Hello, Jovi!" Dr. Krane said with a smile. There was also a happy barking from the doorway as Ella, the Poochyena, came through the door, jumping onto Michael's lap excitedly.

Ella and Erebus took notice of each other, sniffing curiously with their tails starting to wag happily. Ella was the first to make a move, going into a play-bow as she barked playfully. Erebus leapt onto his feet, barking playfully. The two Pokémon began to run around the room, playing a game of chase, radiating joy through the room. Boreas then began to throw little balls of ice into the air. The two puppies began to jump into the air, Ella especially enjoying the new game.

Lily came in and hugged Michael tightly. "Glad to see you three are safe," she said, kissing Michael on his cheek. "And, Liz, your father asked me to tell you that the device you asked for is ready."

Liz nodded. "Perfect. Now Michael and I won't need to switch the Snag Machine between battles," she said, smiling as Jovi went to hug Michael as well.

"So, quick question," Michael said as the three Pokémon in the room began to tire a little from their game. "How do you three know each other?"

"We all went to Orre University when we were younger," Kotori said casually. "I was in a Pokémon Psychology course when Lily was a teacher's assistant, and I met Dr. Krane in a Pokémon Physiology class shortly after that."

"Wow, so you've known each other for a while?" Michael asked.

"We have, but we've been so busy with the Purify Chamber that we haven't had any chances to catch up," Dr. Krane said.

"And I completely understand," Kotori said. "But, now that it's completed, I think we might have more chances."

"I think we could make that happen," Lily said happily. "But, for now, we should be getting everybody back to the HQ lab."

Michael recalled Erebus, with Lily getting Ella into her Pokéball, bidding Kotori a fond farewell before they went outside to the Orison family's car, which was parked beside Michael's scooter. "Liz, will you join us in the car, or are you going home with Michael?" Lily asked.

"I'll go with Michael," Liz said, wanting to spend some alone time with him.

"Alright, then we'll see you two back at the lab. Take your time getting back, but don't be out too late. With Cipher around, we need to be careful," Lily said, a knowing look in her eyes as she went to the car.

"Uncle Richard, do you have that SD Card we found?" Michael asked.

"Yep, and it will be on Datan's desk tomorrow morning," Dr. Krane said with a wave out the window. "See you at home!"

"I don't know about you, but…I can't believe we pulled that off," Liz said, hugging him from behind.

"I agree…but…it was just…too easy," Michael said with doubt in his voice.

"Either way, we have fourteen rescued Pokémon, and five of them are already purified. We're already making progress toward what really matters."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," he said. He took his seat on his scooter, Liz joining him as they put on their goggles. A minute later, they started driving with the setting sun to their left.

They drove for about an hour, seeing the HQ Lab in the distance, when Liz tapped Michael on his shoulder. "Hey, can we stop for a bit?"

"Sure. Anywhere in particular?" Michael asked.

"There's a small lake nearby…and it's pretty secluded. Some of the girls back in high school used to go there to swim on occasion," Liz said. "I can guide you there."

Michael blushed a little as the sun set completely, switching on his headlight. "Sure. We can go there."

"Then take the next right," Liz said. _This couldn't be more perfect timing. A moonlit night by a creek, that should be lovely._

Michael took the turn as Liz said, the road going to a packed dirt trail. "Is this right?"

"Well, it wouldn't be too secluded if there was a big road leading right to it," Liz said with a cute wink as they wound through the path, coming to a clearing in the woods in less than ten minutes, seeing a perfectly clear lake, which looked pristine. The only sounds they could hear now were the rustling of the leaves, and the water of the lake splashing lightly. Michael stopped his scooter and shut the engine off, walking to the shore as he started getting a feeling of what Liz had planned.

"Wow, that's quite the view," Michael said softly, feeling like simply speaking too loudly would break the tranquility of their surroundings. The view got even more beautiful when full moon rose steadily in the sky, shining brightly.

"Yeah, it is," Liz said, hugging his right arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

Michael blushed softly, realizing this was the chance and setting he had unknowingly been waiting to find with Liz all these years. He turned to her, putting his hand on her cheek. She smiled and blushed as they faced each other, Michael's left arm around her back and his right on the back of her neck.

"Liz…I love you," Michael said, his heart racing as he said those words.

"I know," she said softly. "And I love you too." Michael's heart cheered, as did Liz's while they both leaned closer, locking lips in a passionate kiss, something they'd both longed for since they'd entered puberty.

That moment seemed to last forever, but they were suddenly cut off when they felt warm air suddenly rushed over both of them…from the side that was facing the lake. They both broke the kiss and turned, and lost their breath immediately. Before them was a Suicune, looking at them with a stern, yet meaningful gaze, particularly at the Snag Machine on Michael's arm. His purple mane seemed to flow gracefully despite there being no wind.

"No way…are you the same Suicune that Wes purified?" Michael asked. The Suicune nodded, clearly showing intelligence.

"Why are you here?" Liz asked, sounding like she was in awe.

Suicune seemed to smile as his twin tails, which looked like ribbons, began to glow lightly, their tips touching both of their foreheads. Light flooded the area around them briefly. "Accept my blessing. May it bring you strength in your endeavors," it said. The light then vanished along with Suicune, leaving the two teens stunned.

"D-did that just happen?" Michael asked.

"If you're asking whether the Suicune that Wes saved interrupted our kiss and gave us some sort of blessing, I think so," Liz said as she took Michael's hand.

"Good, I thought for a moment that I was going crazy," he said.

Liz smiled as she came out of her daze. "Come on, boyfriend. It's disrespectful to stay by a Suicune's lake too long, even if he just gave us a blessing." She pulled Michael along to the scooter, and, in no time, they were back on the road.

* * *

The next morning, Michael was in the room where he'd gotten the Snag Machine, along with the Jovi, Dr. Krane, Lily, Dr. Hanz, Liz, and multiple lab assistants. Liz, however, was the center of Michael's attention right now. Particularly, he was looking at her right arm, which was now clad in a lavender-colored Snag Machine that was almost the same as his. _Figures this is what she was planning. No wonder she wanted to try using mine while we were in Cipher's lab. She was practicing for her own._ He silently laughed at himself. _But…I guess that's just how she's always been._

"You know, I would never have thought that sleeping in my own bed would be so comfortable," Dr. Krane said, smiling in sheer relief as he sat with a cup of coffee. "And I'm really impressed by how everybody pulled together while I was gone."

"It was nothing," Lily said, smiling in joy with her brother returning home safely. "Are you feeling any better today?"

"Absolutely," Dr. Krane said. "I'm feeling good as new." Him wincing as he reached for his coffee on the table, and he didn't inspire a lot of confidence.

Before their conversation could continue, on of the assistants in the lab entered. "Guys, come quickly, the Purify Chamber is powering up with the two access panels!" he said with an excited smile.

Without a word, everybody ran out of the room, across the hall, and into the room of the purify chamber, seeing the two hologram platforms, one marked with an "M," and the other with an "E," using the initials of the trainer's PC to which they were linked.

"Alright, Michael, Elizabeth," Dr. Hanz said from behind them. "You should both go onto the platforms and start your work."

"You got it," Liz said as she and Michael stood on the platforms. With a glow of light, the platforms began to lower into the chamber. When they were both inside the Chamber, the virtual projections came up.

"Can you guys hear us?" Dr. Krane's voice said from speakers around them. "Your control consoles should appear now."

Michael raised his hand slightly, and a virtual screen appeared, showing nine tabs, labeled as sets. "I've got mine up," he said.

"Me too," Liz said. "What do we do now?"

"Let me explain how the system works. Each set can hold one Shadow Pokémon and up to four non-Shadows. The Pokémon you put into the set, and the order they are placed in are very important too. Do you see one platform surrounded by four others?"

Michael looked up and saw a virtual platform right above him, with four others swirling around him. "Yeah, we see them. For the order of Pokémon that you mentioned, what do you mean by that?"

"Well, based on the typing of the Pokémon in the set, and the order they're placed in, you can increase the tempo of the purification process, which you should see a gauge for next to each set. If a Pokémon has a type advantage against the Pokémon immediately clockwise to it, the process will be faster than if the placement were reversed," Dr. Hanz said. "It doesn't have to be both types, so if you were to put Erebus and Boreas into the set, then Erebus's fire type would be marked as an advantage over Boreas's ice type, but Boreas's water typing would have an advantage over Erebus's fire type."

Michael, wanting to see how this would look, pressed the tab labeled a "party" then dragged Seedot from the party to the center of Set 1. He then took Erebus and Boreas and placed them onto two platforms. Suddenly, a white ring appeared around the set.

"Good, Michael. That ring shows a that it's a great match-up for purification. I also see that Seedot is ready to be purified now. I think it would be good to initiate that," Lily said.

"Liz, it looks like Mareep is also ready to be purified. Try putting her into one of your sets, then we'll teach you both how to purify a Pokémon," Dr. Krane said.

"Already on it," Liz said as she placed Mareep into her Set 1, putting Titania into the set for just the introduction to the process.

"Now, there should be an option on both of your consoles to purify, but the system can only perform one purification at a time. Liz, I remember that you and Michael agreed that you would be the first to purify using the chamber, so go ahead," Dr. Krane said.

Liz pressed the command on the console, making the area around her glow green, the walls being illuminated for a moment as green energy formed on the ceiling, dropping down to Mareep. From there, the process was the exact same as the natural purification process, with energy swirling around and dissipating as the shadows were purged. A text box appeared on Liz's console, saying that Mareep had grown to level 20 from her experience in battle. Then Mareep, likely having been on the verge of evolving when she was turned into a Shadow Pokémon, began to glow brilliantly. When the glowing faded, Mareep's form had turned into that of the bipedal Flaaffy, with less wool covering her now pink skin. Her tail had grown longer, and the gem at the end had turned pink as well.

"Very well done, and congratulations on the evolution!" Dr. Hanz said. "Now, Michael, it's your turn."

Michael was already moving as he pressed the button on his own console, the green energy flaring up once more before swirling around Seedot, purging the shadow from his body. Like with Flaaffy, Seedot gained enough experience from battle to reach level 20. And, just as the electric sheep had, he began to glow brightly, growing into a small, humanoid creature made of wood. The Nuzleaf seemed confident in his evolution and purification, but Michael was getting the same sense about him as he'd gotten from Francis and Ella. He wasn't going to be a fighter.

"So, Dr. Krane, one question: how will we get all of these slots filled in each set? We need to have as many Pokémon in our teams as we can, and there aren't wild Pokémon in Orre," Liz said.

"Not to worry," Dr. Krane said. "We haven't had the chance to do so, but those of us at the lab can help out by donating our Pokémon to your efforts. We are working to make the process as fast as possible, so we all agreed to help once the Purify Chamber had proven its effectiveness."

"I see," Michael said, taking Erebus and Boreas back for his party, while Liz did the same with Flaaffy and Titania. "So, if we place our Shadow Pokémon in the different sets, the others at the lab will lend us Pokémon just for this?"

"Exactly," Dr. Krane said.

"Awesome, this is an incredible system," Liz said, placing Numel and Carvanha into her sets. Michael was now putting Spinarak, Baltoy, and Gulpin into his sets, but, for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to put Shroomish in. He decided he would purify her naturally.

"Alright, most of these Pokémon are close to being purified, the system should have them ready in a day," Lily said.

"Wait, one question, there's a gauge labeled _Flow_ by the Tempo. What's that for?" Michael asked.

"That is for the Pokémon directly linked to the Shadow Pokémon. The Shadow Pokémon should have a type advantage over the Pokémon they're linked to fully maximize the speed of purification," Dr. Krane said.

"Understood. Now, how does the system treat two normal-types in terms of match ups?" Liz asked.

"We decided to make normal-type effective against itself for this system. So, a set of four normal-types would give you a maximum tempo," Dr. Hanz said. "Oh, and there is one more thing you should know: the more sets you have with maximized tempos, the faster the purification process will be."

"Makes sense," Michael said. "Now, for the supply of Pokémon to fill the sets, what will we have?"

"There's an option on the side which opens the list of our Pokémon that you'll have available," Dr. Krane said. Surely enough, when Michael clicked on the tab, he saw a list of low-leveled Pokémon. For Spinarak's set he put in a Spoink, a Machop, a Murkrow, and a Gastly, with Spoink connected to the Shadow Pokémon. For Baltoy, he put in an Aron, a Zubat, a Lotad, and a Torkoal. For Gulpin, he had a Hoppip for the link position, followed by Psyduck, then Diglett, and finally a Geodude. Finally, with Delcatty, he put in a Sentret, a Rattata, a Bidoof, and a Zigzagoon.

Liz also went through the list of non-Shadows for her sets. Linked to Numel was a Pikachu, with a Taillow, an Oddish, and a Sandshrew. Her next set, for Carvanha, had an Abra linked to the Shadow Pokémon, and it continued with a Mienfoo, a Pawniard, and a Shuppet.

"Looks like you two have the hang of it now," Dr. Krane said as they switched off the holograms and brought the two platforms out of the chambers. "You can connect to the chamber to edit these sets from any computer terminal connected to the PC Storage System. However, you need to come to the actual chamber to purify the Pokémon."

"Great, then whenever we're home, we'll purify whichever Pokémon are ready," Michael said as he and Liz stepped off the platform.

"Now, I have a different question for you two," Lily said. "Which one of you started you two on your romantic relationship?"

"Oh, um…" Liz started with a blush, but couldn't continue out of embarrassment.

"I wouldn't say it was either of us individually. We both just…kind of decided to stop concealing how we felt," Michael said. He noticed that, while everybody in the room was smiling slightly, Dr. Krane was smiling the widest. Jovi was just looking confused at the whole situation.

Dr. Krane then walked over to the two of them. "Well, we're all happy for you two. But, we do have more pressing matters to attend to. Could you guys go check on Datan, and see what progress he's made on that SD card we got from Cipher?"

"Yes, absolutely," Liz said, glad to have any excuse to leave this incredibly awkward situation. "Come on Michael, let's go find Datan!" She grabbed his hand and almost dragged him with her the whole way to the elevator.

Once the door closed, the entire room groaned, except for Dr. Krane. "Seems I was the only one to bet that they would both make a move at the same time," he said. "Guess that means I'm the one who wins the bet."

"Yeah, go ahead, rub it in, Richard," Lily said as every adult in the room got out $100 in cash, handing it to the man. "Enjoy the winnings of that nine-year-old bet."

* * *

"Damn…knew they were going to tease us about being together," Michael said as he and Liz got out of the elevator. She just smiled, her left hand holding his right, kissing him on the cheek.

"But now I can do that to you, and people are okay with it," Liz said cutely, giggling at Michael's blush. "Come on, let's go see Datan."

"Right, of course," he said as they walked through the halls leading to Datan's office in the lab. Surprisingly, though, the coder wasn't at his desk. The office was just empty. "Huh…he never leaves the office during the day. I wonder where he went."

"Maybe he went for a walk," Liz said. "Maybe the code was harder to crack than expected."

As she said that, a lab assistant, named Trisha came into the room. "Oh, Miss Hanz, Mr. Orison, great to see you. Are you looking for Datan?"

"Yeah, Dr. Krane asked us to come check on him," Michael said. "But, Trisha, you know you can call us by our first names. We don't mind."

"I know, Michael, just wanted to address you two formally," she said. "And I think Datan was just walking out front, looking overwhelmed."

"Thank you!" Liz said happily. "Come on, Mike."

Michael just sighed happily and followed her out of the room and to the other elevator. This time, his gaze was on her milk-chocolate-colored hair, which had been styled in a cascading wave. It looked absolutely perfect on her, and her usual purple shirt was just as beautiful in complementing her looks.

"Like what you see?" Liz teased when they got into the elevator, her usual confidence showing more now that she didn't have to hide how she felt about Michael.

"Very much so, yes," Michael said, giving Liz a quick kiss and earning a blushing smile from the girl.

"You know, I'm not sure why we didn't start dating in high school. In hindsight, it was pretty clear we liked each other," she said, sounding like she wanted to kick her past self for being hesitant.

"Probably because we were both scared of losing our best friend, so we just stuck with what we knew," Michael said in a very exact way.

"If you want to analyze it like that," Liz said with a bit of an eye roll, though she was really enjoying how easily he could read her. She wanted to kiss him again, but she decided against it as the elevator reached the ground floor. "Come on, let's see what's got Datan out and about."

She pulled him along with her as they walked outside to the front of the lab, walking by the fountains, seeing the glass door still being repaired from Dr. Krane's kidnapping. On the lower part of the lab's patio, they saw the man they were trying to find. Datan was standing at the end of the driveway, looking more than a little perplexed. The two approached him, hearing him muttering to himself.

"There's just no way. Seven encryptions with no keys for deciphering the codes…there's no way to crack it…" he suddenly jumped when he saw Michael and Liz. "Dr. Krane, I'm so sorry I couldn't…" He stopped when he saw that he wasn't talking to one of his bosses. "Oh, Michael, Liz, sorry for jumping like that."

Liz held up her hand to signal it was okay. "Don't worry. Are you okay, though?"

Datan sighed. "Personally, I'm fine. But…that SD card is incredibly hard to crack…I've never seen anything so complex."

"Do you think you can crack it?" Michael asked.

Datan just shook his head in disappointment. "No…it'll take a seriously talented coder to get through that security. It's a shame too…there's three terabytes of data stored on that one card."

"Seriously talented you say?" Dr. Krane said as he approached from behind the three.

"Oh, Director," Datan said. "I'm so sorry. I'm not experienced enough with deciphering encryptions. There's no way I can crack the codes on the SD card." He pulled the chip out from his pocket, handing it to Dr. Krane.

Richard just shook his head. "Don't worry. If it's beyond the scope of your abilities in coding, then we will get in contact with somebody who can," he said, taking the SD card. "Don't apologize for admitting to your limits."

"Wait, Uncle Richard, who are you talking about?" Michael asked.

"Nett, the head of the ONBS," Dr. Krane said with a smirk, handing the chip to Michael, who put it into a secure pocket of his belt pouch. "I believe you were in high school when he, Bitt, Megg, Secc, and Marcia were starting the station."

"Woah, seriously?" Liz asked, having been friends with Megg in school, but given the three-year difference between them, the girl from the Kids Grid had been more focused on the newly forming ONBS than on her social life. "It'll be great to see them after so long."

"Yeah, Perr was glad to see us again when we were in Gateon," Michael said. "ONBS is in Pyrite Town, right?"

"Yeah…they made their headquarters in the slums of Orre. We should be careful," Liz said. "It may have been cleaned up since The Under was closed off, but it's still a pretty dangerous city."

"I think we'll be fine," Michael said as he went to the garage to get his scooter out, when he returned, he had the route for the drive planned out. "So, Liz, it'll be two and a half hours on the road. You okay with that?"

"It is what it is," she said as they both put their goggles on. Michael started the engine as they took their seats, her holding him tightly as he drove off.

Dr. Krane simply smirked at Datan once the two teens were out of earshot, he spoke up. "By the way, I won the bet on who made the first move."

"Yeah, yeah, Lily texted me about it," Datan said as he handed Dr. Krane $100. "To be honest, though, your bet was a bit of a cop-out at the time."

"Back then, maybe, but certainly not anymore," Dr. Krane said with a smirk.

* * *

True to the GPS's estimate, it took almost exactly two and a half hours to reach the canyon that surrounded Pyrite Town. The city was made up of metal buildings that had rust building up around the structures. There were two buildings in the rundown that stood out. The first was a huge dome covering the Pyrite Colosseum, where trainers could test their skill in battle. The second, however, was the stark white building that housed the Orre News Broadcasting Station. Michael parked and chained his scooter to a bolted bike rack. Pyrite was a smaller city, and there were no real roads for vehicles to drive on. "Holy hell, that was a long ride," Liz said as she stood and stretched out a little.

"Yeah, I'm so glad the scooter has incredible gas mileage," Michael said.

"Really? What mileage does it get?" Liz asked.

"Ninety-five miles per gallon on the highway," Michael said. "About eighty-five for the city."

"Holy hell…I wish cars had that mileage," Liz said, sounding impressed.

"Yeah, me too," Michael said. "After all, it's not really that romantic to go to dates on a scooter."

Liz blushed slightly at the thought of the dates she and Michael would go on. They'd been friends so long that dinner likely wouldn't cut it. _Maybe we could travel to another region when this trouble with Cipher is all over,_ she thought. Her train of imagination was cut short as she saw a familiar woman running to an ONBS van parked nearby, followed by a man carrying a news camera.

"Marcia, wait! I can't keep up!" he said. "And you need me to film interviews!"

"Damn it, Cameron, get your butt in the van, this might be the scoop of the century!" she said as she turned on the vehicle. The cameraman leapt into the van and closed the door quickly as Marcia began to drive off.

"Well…seems that Marcia is as energetic as she was in school," Liz said with a slight smile. "We should go see the rest of them."

Michael nodded. "Sounds like a good plan," he said as they walked through the city. As they approached the news station's headquarters, having a battle at the town's entrance with the self-appointed, green-haired guard, Cail, and later with an engineer on his lunch break from the city's windmill power plant. as they went, they noticed two guys with blonde hair. One had his hair styled to look like a candle's flame with orange tips at the top of the hairdo. The other had on a dark blue beanie over his hair, which looked like it was knock-off of Maple Apparel's best-selling hat. The fire-haired one had a tank-top and cargo pants, while his associate had on a long-sleeved shirt and an orange coat vest with the same cargo pants.

"Trudly, Folly?" came a mildly authoritative voice from nearby. "What are you two doing here?" Michael looked to the source and saw one of the many inept officers of the Orre Police Department.

"Hey, Michael, do those names sound familiar to you?" Liz asked.

"A little, but I can't place it," Michael said.

"Officer Johnson, we weren't doing anything!" the candle-haired one said.

"Yeah, like I'd believe that. Cipher may not be a group anymore, but you two are always getting into some criminal trouble," the officer said.

"Ah, screw this, we're out of here," the one in the hat said. They both began running back toward the Pyrite Colosseum.

"Get back here so I can arrest you two!" Officer Johnson said angrily, clearly not understanding that he couldn't make an arrest without charges. However, he didn't even try to give chase, despite his shouting.

"D-do the police still not know that Cipher is back?" Michael asked Liz quietly.

"I'm not sure," she said with a look of disbelief of the stupidity they'd just witnessed.

Officer Johnson, however, heard them talking about Cipher, so he approached them. "Okay, you two, I don't recognize you, so I'm guessing you're new to town. I'll warn you that I will not stand for it if you continue saying things about Cipher."

"Why not?" Michael asked with a look that seemed to challenge the police officer. "Should we not be telling people the truth about what's happening?"

"Firstly, it's not the truth, because Cipher was destroyed by Wes ten years ago. Secondly, this is your second warning…" Officer Johnson stopped when he noticed the Snag Machines on Michael and Liz. "Are those Snag Machines? Where did you get those, and what nefarious things are you plotting?"

Michael just sighed, pulling out his trainer's license. Liz did the same as they both gave their IDs to the officer. "Officer, my name is Michael Orison, and this is Liz Hanz. We're from the HQ Lab, which just finished the Purify Chamber."

The officer looked over their cards carefully. "So, why do you have Snag Machines? And how can I be sure you won't try to steal Pokémon from others?"

"We got them specifically to help end the new Shadow Pokémon crisis," Michael said, keeping his voice quiet, understanding the officer not wanting to cause a panic. "I really wish it wasn't true, but Cipher is back, and they're stronger, and more organized than ten years ago."

"As for us stealing Pokémon, unless there is a Shadow Pokémon present, these Snag Machines don't even activate," Liz said. "They were specifically designed to avoid theft of non-Shadow Pokémon."

Officer Johnson had a stern look as he gave them back their IDs. "You seem to be convinced of what you're saying. I'll let you go for now, but if I hear of any Pokémon thefts, you're my first suspects, got it?"

"Except for Shadow Pokémon, right?" Michael asked. Officer Johnson just left, heading for the police department. "Well, that was…interesting."

"Yeah…I swear the police are useless here," Liz said. "But we have more important things to do right now. Come on, we need to get that data card to Nett."

Michael smiled as they continued, intentionally avoiding Pyrite's infamous Dueling Square, where trainers would battle constantly. He did want to battle like that for fun sometime, but that could wait until later.

As they got to the ONBS headquarters, though, they saw Trudly and Folly catching their breath. "Damn, we need to get out of this city. We're too well-known by the police. And the boss will be livid if we get arrested," the one in the hat said

"Oh, don't worry about the boss, Trudly. I put the transmitter in his hair. He'll never find it there, and so long as we have the radar, we'll never be surprised when he shows up."

"Good point, Folly. Either way, we need to leave this slum ASAP," Trudly said.

Folly nodded as they began to walk toward the city's southern border. "Then let's go try again. Hopefully we can dodge Officer Johnson again."

Michael still couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the two men from somewhere, but he didn't act on his suspicions. Getting the codes decrypted was more important, after all. Liz just took his hand and pulled him along with her as they got to the entrance of the ONBS building. The massive security guard had a tablet in his hand, looking at something on the screen then at Michael and Liz, presumably looking at a picture sent by Dr. Krane as he nodded and waved them through. As they entered, however, Liz was met with a sudden hug from a floral-perfumed girl. The scent told her just who was hugging her.

"Megg, I missed you," she said as her friend pulled back.

"I missed you too, Liz. How have you been?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm great, all things considered," Liz said, her gaze turning to Michael.

"And Michael, how are you doing?" Megg asked, hugging him as well. "I haven't seen you two in ages." The black-haired girl smiled as she walked back to the receptionist desk.

"I'm doing well, despite Cipher's best efforts," he said, getting a slight laugh from Megg.

"I see you've still got a sense of humor," she said. "That's good."

"That he does," Liz said, though her tone and expression showed more than just her appreciation of his humor. Megg noticed.

"No way…are you two…" she asked.

"Yeah, we're a couple," Michael said.

"Well, it's about damn time!" she said, smiling. "Literally everybody in school knew you two would be a couple sooner or later."

"Well, seems they were right," Liz said with a slight blush. "But, as much as we'd like to talk and catch up, we need to meet with Nett."

"Right, Dr. Krane called us about two hours ago. Nett's office is in the rooftop suite. You can't miss it."

"Thanks a lot, Megg," Michael said, smiling at the Shroomish she had on her desk with her. "See you later."

Megg waved sweetly as they walked through the marble-floored halls. "It's so beautiful in here," Liz said as they passed a studio, where two girls were juggling batons that changed colors. They went into the elevator, and were met on the next floor by a little girl, who couldn't have been more than 5-years-old. "Sweetheart, is everything okay?"

The little girl shook her head. "I can't find my mom. I went potty, and she said she was going to be in her dressing room, but I forgot where that is."

"We can help you find her," Michael said. "Besides, I kind of want to see more of this building."

The little girl smiled. "Thank you," she said sweetly, taking Liz's hand.

Michael walked to the first door they came to, hoping to at least get some help finding the little girl's mother. Upon opening it, though, Michael saw it was an office space. "Huh?" came a familiar voice. Michael stepped inside and saw Secc, who was wearing a light blue shirt with a darker blue wave over the chest and a yellow wave below that. He had a set of high-end headphones hanging from his neck as he looked over at the door. "Michael, is that you?" Secc asked.

"Hey, Secc. How've you been?" Michael asked with a smile.

"I'm good. Just working out the details of the next few broadcasts," he said with a slight smile. He then noticed Liz in the doorway with the little girl beside her. "Liz, good to see you too…but, what are you doing with Kandee?"

"I couldn't find my mom's room," the little girl said. "They're helping me find her."

"I see," Secc said before turning to Michael. "She's on the third floor, the second door from the elevator."

Michael nodded. "Thanks. We'll need to catch up later, though. Nett's waiting for us upstairs."

"I'll hold you to that," Secc said slyly as Michael left the office.

"It's nice seeing all these guys again," Liz said. "I just wish it was in better circumstances."

"Well, when we get a chance, maybe we can go get a few drinks with them," Michael said, glad the drinking age of Orre was recently dropped to eighteen.

They walked straight to the next elevator, which took them to the third floor. Surely enough, there was a woman looking worried standing in the second door of a dressing room. Her expression immediately brightened when she saw Kandee coming off the elevator.

"Kandee, thank Arceus you're okay. Where did you wander off to?" the woman asked.

"I was going potty," she said almost sheepishly. "But I got lost."

"Well, please be more careful next time," the woman said before standing and looking Michael and Liz. "Thank you both for helping my daughter. Please, take these." She handed them both bells that chimed softly, making a calming sound.

"Are these Soothe Bells?" Michael asked, knowing the items helped to increase friendship between Pokémon and trainer.

"That they are. I know Pokémon are a rarity in Orre, but I hope these can help you both regardless. After all, strong bonds are crucial for trainers."

Liz smiled as she put the bell in her pocket. "That's a very good point," she said. "And it was no trouble at all. She's such a sweetheart."

The woman smiled softly. "Well, I won't deny that."

The two trainers then took their leave, walking out the room with a wave, heading to a set of stairs with natural light flooding in. They went up and through a glass door, finding themselves on the roof, where they saw what looked like a miniature version of the ONBS building, with a blonde-haired man in a red sweater and dark khakis standing guard out front.

"Hello, are you two from the HQ Lab?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm Michael, and this is Liz. Is Nett ready to meet with us?" Michael asked.

The man walked to an intercom panel on the wall. "Nett, Michael and Liz from the HQ Lab are here to meet with you."

"Great, please send them in, Detro," came another familiar voice.

With a smile to the two trainers, Detro stepped to the side, letting the two trainers pass. They opened the door to what looked like a small apartment, with a fancy desk to one side, and multiple couches on the other.

"Welcome, both of you. Last we saw each other, you were both freshmen, and I was a senior," Nett said with a slight smile, his attire similar to Detro's but he had a white collared shirt under his sweater. Next to him was the much more casual Bitt, who wore a white Maple Apparel t-shirt with a green wave pattern around the chest with black khaki shorts and a black hat.

"Thank you both for seeing us on such short notice," Michael said as he and Liz shook hands with the two.

"Oh, don't mention it. We're here to bring an end to those terrorists just like you are," Nett said. "But, with the urgency Dr. Krane had in his voice, we don't have much time for small talk. Do you have the SD Card?"

Michael pulled the chip from his pocket, placing it on Nett's desk. "Here it is. Datan was saying that there were seven levels of encryptions on that."

"Seven?" Bitt asked, sounding more impressed than concerned. "Is Cipher even trying this time?"

"Let's check the codes and see for ourselves," Nett said, putting the chip into his computer's massive external hard drive. The folder then opened with a series of complex lines of computer script in a black window. Nett examined it for a moment. "Hmm…I've seen similar encryptions before when Wes was fighting Cipher. This shouldn't be too difficult."

"Wow, then should we just stay here and wait for you to decrypt it?" Michael asked.

Nett shook his head. "No, the codes may be relatively easy to crack, but I still have to input the right keys, and these are lengthy documents. It might take me a day."

"Oh…then we can come back when it's ready," Liz said.

"Hey, Nett, didn't we just send a news crew to meet with Duking in the desert?"

"Oh, yeah, that's something you two might enjoy," Nett said.

"Wait, who is Duking, and what's he doing in the desert?" Michael asked.

"He's kind of the mayor of Pyrite…but he's really laissez-faire about his position. Recently, though, he's been searching for wild Pokémon in Orre," Bitt said.

"Wait…did he…" Liz started with disbelief mixed with a hopefulness. Bitt smiled and nodded.

"Just a week ago, he said he's got two places in particular where wild Pokémon can be found," Bitt said. Michael's eyes lit up.

With that, Michael pulled out his P-DA, with the map of Orre pulled up. "Can you show me where it is?"

"Yeah," Bitt said, touching the screen near the edge. Michael pulled up a map of the route, and was surprised that it was another two and a half hours away. "Well, it's only about two in the afternoon, so you two should be there just in time."

"I think that would be great," Michael said. "Liz, you good with another long drive?"

"Yeah, I want to see wild Pokémon as badly as you do," she said, excitement in her voice.

"Before you go, let me get one of your numbers so I can call you guys directly if something comes up," Nett said. Michael nodded, taking a pen and paper, writing down his phone number quickly.

"And, once again, thank you for your help," Michael said as they left. Nett, however, was already getting engrossed in the codes in front of him, so he just waved to the two of them.

* * *

"That's what you get for being pathetic. Stupid plant," Lovrina said as she spat on her Roselia, which was chained to a disgustingly dirty table. But, sadly, it didn't really matter how clean the surroundings were anymore. Not for the Roselia at least. The pink-haired psychopath smirked with a demented egocentric pride as she put away the spray bottle of weed killer, leaving the room. "Peon!" she called to one of the men in the hallway. "I have a task for you." The peon she called to came over, his ID on his belt reading _Feldas_.

"Yes, ma'am, what do you need?" he asked.

"I need you to take the corpse in this room and throw it into the incinerator," she said as she walked away. "That is all."

Feldas shrugged and started to move for the door when Lovrina's phone began to ring. "Hello," she said. "Oh, Mr. Ardos, is it the chip?…ONBS has it? Good, Gorigan and I will assemble a team to go and retrieve it before tomorrow morning. What levels are you authorizing for this mission?" she paused for a moment. "I'll let the team know. Don't worry, I'll make sure they're thorough. That damned Kids Grid will finally get the message about what happens to those who meddle with Cipher's business. I'll let you know when we have succeeded." She hung up and turned back to Feldas. "You, aren't you the one who got that Ralts?"

"I am, ma'am," he replied.

"Good," she said. "I want you to go with the raiding group. You're to put her in front of a camera broadcasting live around the world while you're there. I want the entire world to know and fear Cipher…there's no more amusing way to do that than to shatter the heart of Hoenn's favorite Gardevoir."

"Understood, ma'am…Should I still go handle the corpse?" Feldas asked, looking in and having no reaction to the dead Roselia on the table. It was common in Cipher for the failures to be killed, regardless of whether they're human or Pokémon.

"Yes, then go to the mission briefing room as soon as you're done," Lovrina said, walking to Gorigan's office steadily. "This is going to be a good night."

* * *

 **And here is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review to let me know where I can improve.**

 **A quick note: I dropped this story to a "T" rating for a few reasons, but it's primarily because the content is not really graphic enough yet to be in the "M" rating. It may be dark, but trust me when I say these scenes are tame compared to what's coming.**

 **Next chapter will bring us the single best NPC to ever grace the Pokémon Franchise, and, for those of you who know who I'm talking about, I promise he will be as funky and amazing as he deserves to be.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	13. Chapter 13 - Funky Miror

**This is the chapter where Miror B makes his first appearance. When you read his dialogue, imagine him with the voice Chuggaaconroy uses in his "Let's Plays" of both Colosseum and XD. I highly recommend checking those out**

 _Funky Miror_

It was about four thirty when Michael and Liz pulled up to the destination, finding a large news helicopter there, with a woman in a pink pant suit, a camera man, and an absolutely massive man with biceps as big as Michael's head, a black shirt, a grey fedora with a Fletchinder feather, and a clean, black mustache. The news woman had her microphone ready as the cameraman pointed to tell her to start speaking. "This is Pofty, on site with Duking, mayor of Pyrite Town. In what might be a regional miracle, Duking claims to have found two areas where wild Pokémon are beginning to take up residence in Orre. Duking, would you like to tell us how you found these locations?"

"Well, Betty," Duking said

"It's Pofty," the newswoman said with slight annoyance.

"Right…anyway, I worked diligently for twenty long years," Duking began

"Twenty? Wasn't it only ten?"

"Ahaha, one shouldn't let the details get in the way of a good story, should they?" the hulking man said. "Anyway, I honestly just stumbled upon the two locations. The species that seem to appear in these areas wouldn't be considered to be too amazing in other locations, but they're more than enough to show that Orre is improving in terms of how clean the region has become over this decade."

That's when Duking noticed Michael and Liz, but his gaze quickly shifted to the ground near them. "Umm, Duking, is everything-"

"Shh…" Duking cut her off, pointing for the cameraman to turn his lens toward the two trainers. That was when Michael looked down, and saw sand beside him and Liz funneling down as if a hole was opening beneath it. The cameraman was focused on them as the orange head of a Trapinch surfaced, looking at Michael almost angrily.

"Ummm…hi, Trapinch…" Michael said, a bit nervous having a wild Pokémon so close to him. The two-foot-tall ground-type leapt forward, its jaws wide as it tried to bite the trainer.

Michael quickly sidestepped, and grabbed Erebus's Pokéball as the ground-type flew by. "Come out, Erebus," he called. The fire-type came out, and despite him having a usually playful demeanor, he saw that his trainer was in trouble and went into a more serious stance.

"Ember!" Michael said, watching as the Trapinch dove back into the ground only to resurface directly in front of Erebus. The fire dog had enough time to jump to the side, spitting out a ball of fire that hit the wild Pokémon. Michael then started to notice a fire in Trapinch's eyes. As they battled, Michael realized that the Pokémon was attacking to show how strong it was. He remembered learning that wild Pokémon would occasionally attack trainers simply to impress the trainer, with the hopes of being caught in a Pokémon Behavior class in high school. He went to his snag machine's list of items, which he'd restocked with Pokéballs, and some Great Balls in Pyrite Town, and he pushed a "Dispense" option. With a bright glow on the shoulder of the snag machine, a Great Ball appeared. Michael reached up and grabbed the capsule in his right hand.

"Erebus, use Feint Attack!" Michael said, preparing to make his throw. Erebus howled as three rings of dark energy swirled around him. He then charged forward, only to see the Trapinch gathering energy as well. It stomped on the ground, making a cluster of rocks fly into the air, dropping it over where Erebus was going to be. _Damn, this little Trapinch is crazy smart. I hope I can catch it._

Erebus slammed into the ground-type, knocking it back just as the rocks fell around him, hitting him hard enough to knock him around. Despite the impacts, and the power behind the attack, Erebus stayed standing. "Great job, buddy! Way to stay strong!" Michael said as he made an overhand curveball throw. He hit the Trapinch directly in the center of its head, the Pokémon seeming to tiredly smile with satisfaction. With one roll, the ball snapped shut, completing the capture.

Breathing heavily from the excitement of the battle, Michael walked forward and picked up the newly filled Great Ball, then gave medicine to Erebus before recalling him. That's when the newswoman rushed to him. "Young man, that was an incredible battle. Tell me, how does it feel to have caught the first wild Pokémon seen in Orre for almost half a century?"

"It felt…exhilarating. It's honestly a shame that trainers here haven't been able to experience this for so long," he said.

"And, may we get your name, for the record?" she asked.

"I'm Michael Orison," he said happily, hearing clapping from behind the camera.

"Truly, that was superb," Duking said. "You have a marvelous ability to train Pokémon."

"Oh, thank you," Michael said, a bit nervously.

"And it was a better method of showing what this place is all about. To be honest, I couldn't have described it much better," the Pyrite mayor said with a chuckle as he walked over. "Now, normally that process involves using bait and a monitor system to get more Pokémon…but this was certainly better for a demonstration." The massive man then turned to the camera. "Does that explain what this place is all about?"

"Absolutely," Pofty said as the camera was shut off. "This should be perfect."

"In that case, Michael, I have a gift for you. I'll give you the location of the second PokéSpot," he said. "Do you have a GPS?"

Michael pulled out his PDA, getting the GPS open and handing it to Duking. The man quickly placed a marker just north of Pyrite, near the river that flowed out of Agate. "Oh…that's another three hours of driving…" Michael said as he looked at the mark.

"We could give you a ride to it," Pofty offered. The newswoman gestured to the helicopter.

"Can the helicopter carry a scooter too?" Michael asked.

"Yes, actually," Pofty said. "It's a retired military helicopter that was given to the station by the Orre Air Force as thanks for Nett, Bitt, and Secc all helping with the shadow crisis ten years ago. It actually used to carry Jeeps, so a scooter will be no problem."

"Great!" Michael said. "Will I need to hook it up to any cables?"

"No, I think we should have enough room in the cabin," she said. "Plus, we wouldn't want to accidentally drop your scooter during flight."

"Yeah, that'd be bad," Michael said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Actually, it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe then he'd be willing to buy a car of his own."

"Don't wish that on Lucielle," Michael said.

Liz just rolled her eyes at the name her boyfriend insisted on using for his scooter.

Pofty and Duking both seemed to chuckle at the exchange, but Michael was already moving the scooter to the helicopter. The cameraman had already entered and was lowering a ramp for the scooter to enter the cabin. Liz got in through the other side, while Michael wheeled his vehicle inside the spacious helicopter. Pofty and Duking entered the helicopter as the engines roared to life, and the vehicle began to fly through the air. What had taken three hours to drive took the helicopter only an hour to traverse, with the teens and Duking being let out north of Pyrite, with the Agate River flowing just ahead, with a palm tree grove around a segment of the winding body of water.

Once they were off the helicopter with Michael wheeling his scooter off, walking into the grove, with the helicopter was fading, Duking began to speak again. "I'd like to thank you, Michael," the man said. "That demonstration was superb. Better than anything I could have explained."

"To be honest, it was no big deal. I just reacted to a Pokémon coming for me," Michael said, trying to be modest.

"Either way, there is something I didn't tell that newswoman…Betty?" Duking said. "See, there's a third location where wild Pokémon have been showing up in Orre. I know trainers are going to flock to these places once that news story comes out, so I intentionally left that information out. Orre is getting better, but it's not at the point where the wild Pokémon can be caught indiscriminately."

"That's understandable," Liz said.

"Well, I can tell that you are trustworthy trainers. So, as thanks, I want to give you the location of the third spot," Duking said. "And I'll give you guys the Spot Monitor App on your PDAs so you can check the activity at each location." He pulled out a computer chip, and Michael went for his PDA, handing it to the man. A short uploading later, Duking then went to Michael's GPS app, putting a marker down at the base of the mountain used for Mt. Battle.

"It's only about an hour away from this place," Michael said. "I'll definitely check it out."

"Oh, one more thing I'd like to ask you. See, there are three very rare Pokémon that can be found in the PokéSpots. You already caught one, Trapinch. The other two are Surskit, which is found here at the oasis, and Wooper, which is at the third one. I'm hoping to get those three, but I've got a town to run. If you happen to catch any of those Pokémon, I'll trade my own rare Pokémon for them."

"Oh? And what Pokémon would you trade for Trapinch?" Michael asked.

"How about a Meditite?" Duking asks.

"Hmm…" Michael thought for a moment as he considered what he'd seen from his battle with his new Trapinch. "Sorry, but I'm keeping Trapinch. I can't explain it, but I have a good feeling having her on my team."

"I understand," Duking says. "But my offer still stands if you ever change your mind."

"Sounds good. Thank you, though," Michael says. "I wish you luck with those trades."

"Thank you too, Michael, and Liz. Best of luck to both of you going forward," Duking said, waving as he walked off toward Pyrite Town, and it looked like he intended to walk the whole way.

"So, want to go now?" she asks.

"To the third PokéSpot? Sure," Michael said with a smile.

They both got on the scooter, and Michael started it up, driving off toward Orre's mountain.

* * *

An hour later, Michael and Liz had arrived at the cavern that housed the sanctuary for wild Pokémon. It was a beautiful cave, with waterfalls in the distance, and multiple stalactites and stalagmites fitting like fangs around them. What caught their eyes, however, were the two men in the cavern already: Trudly and Folly, the eccentric men from Pyrite.

"What do you figure the boss is going to do now?" Folly said. "I'm really tired of this life. We need to put down some damn roots."

"Man, don't whine so much. You know what the boss always says. He'll get this team together one day, and then all the Pokémon in world will be ours!" Trudly said.

"Yeah…ummm…about that," Folly said. "Do you really think we can pull something like that off?"

Michael and Liz approached, making Trudly leap in surprise. "Boss?!" he calmed down when he saw the two trainers. "Oh, it's just some teenagers. Don't sneak up on us like that!"

Folly turned to face his comrade. "Man, calm down. I have the radar, so we'll know if the boss is nearby."

As if waiting for that cue, there was a blaring noise from Folly's pocket. He pulled out a device that looked surprisingly like the dragon radar from Dragon Ball. "Oh, shit, boss is here! Get the stereo out!"

Michael and Liz moved to the side, almost behind a stalagmite as they began to hear funky dance music from a small speaker. Looking at the entrance, they saw a man who was recognizable to anybody who'd studied the Shadow Crisis from ten years ago. His afro was split perfectly down the center with one side dyed red, the other white, and it had clearly grown since he was last seen in public. His outfit had changed from the eccentric gold disco outfit, which he had worn ten years ago, to a black shirt with none of the buttons clasped. He wore a yellow ascot, which matched a golden, star-shaped belt buckle, along with gold-framed glasses, and a black glove on his right hand. He even had black shoes with yellow pumps for dancing. "Miror B," Michael whispered to Liz as the man moon-walked into the cave.

The man came to a stop, turning to face Trudly and Folly. "Fuohohoho, hey my posse! Have you rounded up those Pokémon like I wanted?" He paused as he turned to see Michael and Liz. "Hm? Stop the music!" On cue, the music stopped, a record scratch sounding as it stopped. Miror B sniffed the air briefly, stepping side to side in a rhythm. "Oh, oh, oh! I sense the pleasing scent of Pokémon, oh yes, I do! Boy, maybe you and the dime there are a little hood, or maybe you are two fine trainers with the goods? How about you two get with it and join my posse? Be one of us, and soon you'll be owning all the Pokémon in the world. What do you say?"

Michael and Liz turned to each other, looking surprised that this man would consider letting them join his so-called posse. "Wait…really?" Michael asked, sounding as unsettled as he felt.

"Oh, it almost sounded like you said 'yes,' but you need to consider hard before committing to a life of crime," Miror B said.

Liz and Michael both looked and needed no words to agree. "Miror B, you can shove your offer," she said.

Miror B scoffed. "I knew it. You both have this goodie-goodie air around you that told me you'd say no."

"Well, what will you do about it?" Michael asked, stepping forward defensively between the dancing man and Liz.

"What other way is there for trainers?" Miror B said. "Fuohohohoho! Hit my battle music!"

Trudly nodded, touching a button on his phone, and the sound of an incredible bass riff filled the cavern. Miror B did an acrobatic flip, landing solidly on his feet, making enough distance for a battle before jumping and doing the splits in the air. He did a horizontal wave starting from his left hand, going through his shoulders and to his gloved hand. He snapped his finger on his right hand, just as a guitar riff started. If it wasn't for the situation, it would've been an incredible dance move for a performance.

"Come on out, my duo of Lombre!" Miror B said as he threw two Pokéballs out, two bipedal Pokémon with lily pads on their heads. They were mostly green, with some aqua on their chests and faces. They were about four feet tall, with a red bill for a mouth. It seemed to dance a little with music as it played. Michael looked at Liz.

"Want to take this one?" he asked.

"I think this should be my battle…he gives me the creeps," she said. "Plus, I kind of want to break this in." She raised her right arm slightly to show that she meant her snag machine.

"Then he's all yours," he said, kissing her cheek to wish her good luck.

"Oh, I'll be getting a battle with the absolute dime, will I? I hope you can keep with the beat, and battle with the lightest of feet. Otherwise, you will never beat me, bee-otch!" Miror B said to the rhythm of the song.

"Titania, Artemis, come out!" Liz said. The blue Sylveon and the brown bear both appeared, with energetic expressions as they heard the music playing.

"So, the dime has an equally attractive Pokémon, with that blue Sylveon. Truly deserving of her name," Miror B said. "But does she have the skills to back that beauty? Lombro, use Rain Dance. Lombra, use Leech Seed on that Teddiursa!"

According to Liz's HUD, there was, indeed, one female and one male among the two Lombre. "Titania, Fairy Wind. Artemis, use Fury Swipes. Pick your targets!"

As Titania gathered her energy, and Artemis extended her claws, the male Lombre began to dance more vigorously as a small black cloud formed over the battlefield, and rain started to pour over the field. At the same time, the female fired a cluster of seeds at Artemis, who was running straight for the female.

"Oh, baby, you really gonna attack like that? Not even tryna make an advantage for your team? That's sad, baby," Miror B said. "Lombres, show her what I mean with two Water Guns!"

Titania smirked as the fairy-type energy around her began to swirl into a tornado of power. She sent the whirlwind ripping toward the male Lombre. At the same time, Artemis rolled to the side of the incoming cluster of seeds, continuing on her path toward her attack target. What she and Titania both got for their efforts were blasts of water knocking them back. Due to the rain on the field, the attacks were more powerful, causing their health to drop significantly. Luckily, the male Lombre took just as much damage from Titania's attack. Artemis sprinted forward again, scratching the female Lombre repeatedly across the face. The attacks hit hard, and they hit fast. While both Artemis and Titania looked ready to collapse, they stood strong. Their opponents, however, collapsed in exhaustion, getting a scoff from their trainer.

"My Lombres, how did you not keep up to that simple beat," Miror B said, recalling them. "Fine, guess I ain't got a choice in this one. Come out, Lombre and Voltorb!"

Liz stayed focused as the shadow monitor alerted her to the shadow aura radiating from the Voltorb. The electric node Pokémon had a more menacing glare than most Voltorbs tended to wear, yet there was no emotion behind it. All Liz could see was blinding pain.

"Artemis, use Lick on that Voltorb. Titania, show them your Echoed Voice!" Liz said. Artemis was already close to Voltorb after her last attack, allowing her to grab her opponent easily.

"Voltorb, use Shadow Panic!" Miror B said, spinning and throwing his gloved hand into the air like Michael Jackson. "And Lombre, use Fake Out on that Sylveon."

Lombre leapt forward, and clapped his hands in front of Titania, making her flinch and lose her balance. Then, before Artemis could lick her opponent, Voltorb began to screech, causing his aura to flare out, almost making stars with that aura. Those stars struck and swirled around Titania and Artemis, making them both stagger and fall around. Artemis dropped the Voltorb as she staggered around.

"They're both confused?" Michael asked from the sidelines. The move was a new one to him, but it was clearly effective for battles.

"Damn," Liz muttered. "Titania, Artemis, please snap out of it. You need to fight back!" Her calls were unheard, as both of her Pokémon stumbled some more.

"Lombre, use Absorb, and Voltorb, use Shadow Blitz!" Miror B sang. The two Pokémon obeyed, Lombre forming an energy tendril that wrapped around the dazed Sylveon's leg before it began to glow, draining her energy. As she felt her fatigue growing, Titania managed to break through her daze, quickly firing a strong Fairy Wind along the tendril, leading straight back to the grass-type. The Pokémon went wide-eyed as the cyclone struck, dealing enough damage to make him drop to his knees, but not enough to knock him out. So, to finish it, Titania used her ribbons to grab the Lombre and slam him into the ground, knocking him out with the impact.

Artemis, however, was too disoriented to react as Voltorb spun rapidly while its aura flared out of its body and it collided with the little bear. She was launched back from the collision, landing hard on the ground, making a small cloud of dust fly up. Artemis struggled back to her feet, then ran forward, seeming to have finally broken out of her confusion. She began repeatedly scratching Voltorb, dropping the electric-type's health to nearly a quarter of its maximum. Liz began to program a snag, remembering how to operate Michael's Snag Machine as she held out her arm, the Pokéball materializing in her hand. She threw it with an overhand style at the Voltorb, getting Mirror B's now undivided attention. The energy hand grabbed the Shadow Pokémon, pulling it inside and rolling quickly before snapping shut, sending sparks up into the air, completing the capture.

"Aw, hell naw!" Miror B said as he recalled the Lombre. "Not another Snag Machine." He then looked at Michael's arm, seeing the other machine. "And there's two of em! That's it, my posse, RUN AWAY!"

With the clacking of his dancing shoes, the glorious afro disappeared from the cave. Trudly and Folly both seemed shocked. "Boss, wait!" both said simultaneously. They started running out of the cave. Folly however, didn't notice the ribbons that reached into his pocket as he and Trudly ran to follow the dancing Cipher Admin.

"Well…that was interesting," Michael said. "Makes me wonder if he's still in Cipher."

Liz was about to respond when Titania put her paws on her trainer's thigh, mewing. Liz looked at her Pokémon, and she saw the radar Trudly and Folly had been using. "You stole their radar?" she asked with a giggle. Sylveon nodded with a smile. "Good job, girl!" Liz said as she took the device. It seemed rather crude, and it was made from an old PDA system, with a map of Orre. There were multiple spots that pulsed with radar signals which, when compared to a map of Orre, were in Gateon Port, Pyrite Town, the three PokéSpots, and a few more spots in the desert, including somewhere near the oasis of Phenac City, and a few other smaller sites. Currently, there was no response from any of the spots. But, Liz guessed there would be something soon.

That was when Michael's PDA buzzed with two messages. The first was a text from Nett. "Come back to _ONBS_ , we've got a _break in_ the code." The second was a video of a recent broadcast.

* * *

Far off, in Littleroot Town, Gwen was sitting in a deep depression. The television was on the news as she waited in desperation for the exact moment that travel to and from Orre was allowed. Brendan was feeling her depression as well, though he and May were both staying strong for Selena. The little girl, however, could still tell things were wrong as she saw Gwen laying on their couch, looking as crestfallen as she had ever since hearing the news that Alicia's ship had gone missing. The five-year-old had decided to try her best to cheer up the Gardevoir who was as close as an aunt. With May watching from the doorway after helping prepare the surprise Selena had wanted to make. "Gwen," Selena said sweetly.

Gwen looked up, smiling softly at the girl. _Hey, Selena. Is everything okay?_

"I…umm, I brought you some tea. Mommy and Daddy said chamamil-ay was your favorite," Selena said, grabbing the cup of tea off the end table just out of sight from Gwen's position.

Gwen smiled at the kindness, and at how cutely Selena mispronounced chamomile, levitating the cup to another end table beside her. The Gardevoir leaned forward and hugged the little girl. _Thank you, sweetheart. That means a lot,_ she said with happiness in her voice, but May could still sense the sorrow in Gwen's mind.

"Hey, did it go as planned?" Brendan asked as he approached behind May, hugging his wife, placing his hand on her belly. She was almost at three months with their second child, and she was showing a little more than she had with Selena.

"Yeah, I think so," May said. "Her smile was-."

She was cut off as the news station started a breaking broadcast. "This is Gabby, from the Global News Network. We have breaking footage that just aired on the Orre News Broadcasting Station. Though the region is still closed due to a state of emergency, we were still able to get this footage. Before showing this, be aware that the content is extremely disturbing, so viewer discretion is advised."

Brendan's eyes went wide as he and May entered the room. "Selena, please go play in your room for a little bit," he said, sounding gentle, but still firm.

Selena nodded, not really sure why she had to leave the room, and her parents were glad she wouldn't find out until they could explain what they were about to see. Gwen picked up her cup of tea, taking a slightly calming sip.

The screen lit up, showing a normal broadcast. "This is Ancha, reporting to you live. Recently there has been speculation that the head engineer at the Pyrite Wind Farm Power Plant, known for his claims of _'_ Thirty-five years ofcranking gears" has come under suspicion of having lied about how long he's been at the job, since the power plant has only been in operation for ten years. We will bring you further details as our investigation," she stops as she looks up and away from the camera.

"Hey, who the hell are you? Why are you all here?" said a voice from behind the camera. It was followed by the sound of a sickening impact, then the clacking of hard soled boots on tile as three figures clad in pure white armored uniforms with masked helmets. One was a massive hulk of a man, one was a woman with form-fitting armor, and the last was a man with the smirk of somebody about to do something horrible.

"Hello, first to Orre, and eventually to the rest of the world!" the massive man said. "To start, let us introduce our organization. We are Cipher. You may know us from the Shadow Pokémon incident ten years ago. The Orre Police, incompetent as they always are, still have their heads buried in the sand. So, we are announcing our return. Many of you might claim this to be too similar to Team Rocket's return in Johto's radio tower incident, so my associate here will show you all a small example of our power." That associate took out a Pokéball, letting out its occupant.

Gwen's eyes went wide and she dropped the cup of tea. The porcelain cup shattered on the ground, spilling the tea on their own tile floor. Brendan and May had similar reactions. There, on the newsroom's table, was Alicia.

 _No_ , Gwen said. _Alicia…what have they done to you?_

Brendan and May could both see it just as clearly as Gwen could. Alicia may have been physically there, but she had cold, lifeless eyes. They were the complete opposite of her typically energetic and joyful personality.

"For those of you who don't know, this little brat is none other than the daughter of the Hoenn Champion's Gardevoir. Let's show you just what we can do with a weak little Pokémon like this," Alicia's apparent keeper said. "Now, Ralts, drag the cameraman forward." With a robotic lifting of her arm, Alicia's hand was surrounded in energy so dark and ominous, Gwen knew it couldn't be natural. Not even ghost or dark attacks had such an aura. Things got worse as a distraught man was pulled into view of the camera. "Now, break every bone in his body, one at a time. Just be sure to leave him alive." Alicia seemed to wince ever so slightly, as if the thought of what she was doing was revolting, but her mind and powers still operated on their own. The sound of cracking bones began to reverberate over the video, getting laughter from the Cipher agents. The video was cut off when the man's neck started to bend unnaturally.

"As you can see, the infamous Cipher has resurfaced…in a much more brutal fashion. We will bring you more information as more comes to us," Gabby said as the footage turned off. "And, of course, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Maple family, and to the Orre Region. We hope that the desert region can overcome this threat once again."

Gwen was on her knees, thankfully not over the shattered mug. _She's…been turned into a Shadow Pokémon…my baby girl is just a weapon to those bastards._ She immediately turned to Brendan. _We need to go to Orre NOW!_

"Gwen, we can't," Brendan said, kneeling beside Gwen to comfort her, his tone showing that it hurt him to say it. "If we go, the coast guard of Orre will just arrest us, then we'll only make things worse. If Cipher is making an announcement like that, they just blundered. They might have just declared war on their entire region, but that's their mistake: they are trying to take on an entire region." Gwen just hugged her trainer tightly, crying again over how helpless she felt. "Besides, you said you found two trainers there who could help. I'm sure they have the means to save Alicia."

* * *

Michael didn't need any more motivation as the video ended. He put on the GPS as he and Liz left the cave, and started his scooter's engine immediately after they were both set to go. "Gwen, if you're listening, I'm keeping my promise to you."

* * *

 **Well, this was another long wait for a chapter, but I started using a great trick to making the writing go much faster: Write in Comic Sans, then edit in Times New Roman. I know, the whole "Eww, Comic Sans" stigma is about to rain on me. But it worked to get me out of a small writer's block. Give it a try if you're skeptical.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this one, and I hope the funkiness of Miror B was balanced well with Alicia's appearance on ONBS. As always, please review the chapter. It will help me to improve the quality of my writing, which will increase your enjoyment.**

 **Next is the Cipher raid of ONBS.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	14. Chapter 14 - Alicia's Rescue

_Alicia's Rescue_

It took Michael and Liz about forty-five minutes to get to Pyrite, since Michael was driving his scooter as fast as it could possibly go. When they got to the town, they didn't stop until they got to the ONBS building. Surprisingly, the police were nowhere to be seen, despite the horrifying broadcast. "What are the police doing?" Michael asked Liz once the engine was off.

"I'm not sure…but something seems off. Wasn't there a security guard out front too?" Liz asked.

Michael looked more worried. "Let's get in there," he said, opening the door, immediately seeing the security guard on the ground next to the Shroomish that was usually on Megg's reception desk. While Shroomish was asleep, it was clear that the security guard had been injured seriously, his right leg clearly broken in several places.

"Nng, hey, you two, they took Megg. Please save her," he said with a wince. "Be careful, there are Cipher members all around the building."

"Alright, but do you need us to call an ambulance?" Michael asked.

"I've…already called for emergency services. They're supposed to be on their way here."

"Okay, just keep weight off of it for now," Michael said.

"Yeah, I'm not moving from this spot," he said through gritted teeth.

Michael led the way, with Liz close behind as they rounded the corner. There, they almost collided with a Cipher member who was patrolling the halls. "Well, the brats are here, huh? Lovrina told us to look out for you. Now, show us what you can-"

He was cut off as Liz brought her foot directly into the man's groin, hitting a gap in Cipher's armored uniform. "Piss off, you bastards," she shouted, giving the man a punch to the face, knocking him out and making his nose bleed.

Michael was blushing slightly at how Liz handled herself. _Note to self: Do_ _ **not**_ _piss her off_. "Have I ever said just how beautiful you are?"

"Hmm, mentioning it more often couldn't hurt," she said with a confident smile.

Michael smiled and laughed slightly as they continued. Unfortunately, they were met with another Cipher Peon. "Oh, you two are the ones Lovrina mentioned. I guess it's time for you and your pathetic Pokémon to die."

Michael stepped forward this time. "You really want to fight us?"

"You don't have to fight if you're scared. It'll just make things cleaner," the Peon said. Michael just grabbed the two most recently filled Pokéballs.

"Just try it. Come on out, Shroomish, and Trapinch!" Michael called, not yet learning their names, though Shroomish was just barely still a Shadow Pokémon. "Now, time to fight."

"Come out, Corphish and Electrike," the Peon said as the scarlet crustacean appeared next to the green and yellow electric canine. They were both shown at level 18.

"We'll just keep this brief," Michael said, looking at the listed attacks for Trapinch, knowing he couldn't use the ground attacks inside the building for fear of damaging the floor. "Trapinch, use Crunch on Electrike. Shroomish, use Mega Drain on Corphish!"

"Corphish, use Bubble Beam on Trapinch, and Electrike use Thunder Wave on Shroomish!"

Corphish was the first to respond to his command, shooting a stream of bubbles directly at Trapinch. Thankfully, the freshly caught Trapinch knew that she needed to dodge, jumping to the side as she jumped to the side of the incoming water attack, then charged toward Electrike. She closed the distance easily as she bit the electric hound hard. Michael honestly regretted that they had to resort to such brutal fighting, but they had to be decisive enough to stop Cipher's plan. Electrike barely had time to fire his ball of paralyzing lightning.

Shroomish extended energy tendrils, which wrapped around Corphish, but, due to her concentration, she didn't move away from the incoming Thunder Wave. But she still drained as much energy from her target as she could from the crustacean as possible.

Trapinch then turned rapidly, throwing the Electrike across the field, her aim was precise as the electric-type collided with his teammate. Both were knocked out in the collision. The Cipher Peon growled and just sent out his third Pokémon: the purple ball of sludge, Grimer. However, he didn't recall his other Pokémon. Michael didn't take the time to question it.

"Shroomish, use Shadow Blitz. Trapinch, use Rock Slide." Shroomish was surrounded by a powerful aura, crashing into Grimer just as an orb of energy appeared over it. The orb began to produce a cluster of rocks as if it were a portal. Shroomish leapt out of the way of the attack as the poison-type was almost entirely buried without a chance to make a move.

"Damn you, you weak Pokémon!" the Cipher Peon said. "Doesn't matter anyway. You were just assigned to me, not even my Pokémon." He took off the belt of Pokéballs and dropped it onto the ground before leaving, simply walking out of the building.

"Well…we did want to help free the non-Shadow Pokémon," Michael said before he thanked both Shroomish and Trapinch for battling so hard. As he did, he saw a notice that Shroomish was ready to be purified. Liz went and recalled the Pokémon the Cipher Peon had just abandoned, leaving the belt on a table nearby.

"Maybe now they'll find real trainers," she said with a sad, yet hopeful tone. "Let's just hope the others in Cipher will drop their Pokémon like this guy did."

"I know what you mean," Michael said as he healed Shroomish and checked Trapinch for injuries. "I seriously worry about Lovrina's other Pokémon. There's no way she's not abusing them."

"By the way, should we go and take the Pokéballs from the guy I knocked out back there?" Liz asked.

"I don't want to stoop to their level, but I'd rather keep the Pokémon safe from those monsters," Michael said. "Go for it."

Liz smirked, grabbed the other belt, and left for a little more than five minutes. "Okay, I placed the two belts in some of the drawers of Megg's desk. Hopefully Cipher won't find them there."

"Perfect," Michael said, his Pokémon all healed and in their Pokéballs. "Let's go through and clear this building before we go for Nett's office."

"You want to find and catch Alicia, right?" Liz asked.

"Yeah," Michael said. "If that broadcast was seen outside of Orre, there's a chance that Gwen saw it in Hoenn. After she came to us pleading for help, I decided I was going to do anything to save that Ralts."

Liz smiled. "Well, once we find the guy who has her, you can battle him," she said with a smile.

"You sure?" Michael asked. "You don't want to catch her?"

"I do…but I can tell that your feelings are stronger than mine are," Liz said as they entered the elevator. "Plus, if she's anything like her mother is supposed to be in battle, she's better suited on your team."

Michael gave Liz a quick kiss on the cheek as thanks. "But, who knows, you and her might become friends too," he said as they got to the second floor. They stepped out of the elevator, but then they heard a what sounded like boots hitting the floor behind them. Michael turned, seeing another member of Cipher, who seemed to have just appeared out of thin air.

"Surprised that I'm here? Well, it wasn't easy bracing myself against the ceiling," he said, clearly fishing for a compliment.

"Cool, but you're a talentless hack," Liz said, ready for a battle. Michael chuckled a bit at Liz's insult.

"You say that, but it's not as easy as you are. Come out, Kecleon and Surskit!" the Peon said, as a tall chameleon Pokémon, and a water-skater bug appeared from his two Pokéballs.

"Okay, you want to play that way? I'll play along. Titania, Mareep, let's show him what we're made of!" The Flaaffy and Sylveon duo came out, ready to battle.

"Fury Swipes, and Water Gun!" the Peon said, almost angrily. "I don't give a shit who you attack."

"Titania, Fairy Wind on Kecleon. Flaaffy, use Thunder Shock on Surskit!" Liz said. Both of the girl's Pokémon attacked, the cyclone of fairy-type energy whirling around Kecleon, knocking him to the ground hard. Flaaffy's wool began to buzz with electricity before she launched a spiral of lightning, hitting the water-type hard. The attacks both dropped the health of their opponents by about a third. It was already fairly clear who would win this battle.

Kecleon and Surskit still managed to get up and start using their attacks, with Kecleon desperately trying to scratch Titania, who just dodged as if she couldn't care less about her attacker. She then started using her ribbons to whip the Kecleon between his swipes. Surskit was very inaccurate with her bursts of water, with Flaaffy barely making a move to dodge.

 _Something is wrong here,_ Michael thought. _Unless there's some sort of damage done to their senses, no Pokémon misses that easily._ He then started to notice that both of the bug-type's eyes looked almost cloudy, as if cataracts was beginning to develop. _No…there's no way they're intentionally hurting their other Pokémon…wait, no, that's par for the course for them._

"Flaaffy, finish that Surskit with Thunder Shock," Liz said. Flaaffy could see that something was off with the bug-type, so she gathered as much power as she could for this attack. The electricity arced from the electric coils on the sides of her head, hitting Surskit directly. For a moment, the water bug seized up, only to collapse once the electricity faded. The Peon walked forward and punted the bug type toward Liz, making the poor thing cry out from pain. That just pissed off Liz, her Pokémon, and Michael. Titania then proceeded to use Bite just as Kecleon made a final swing for his Fury Swipes attack. She then let loose with a blast of Fairy Wind finishing the job. The Peon then began to curse louder.

"Fucking weaklings," he said as he pulled out a third Pokéball. "Makuhita, time to show them power."

The Pokémon that came out was a short, yellow Pokémon with the build of a sumo wrestler, and it had black hands that looked like boxing gloves. Then came the alert from both of their Shadow Monitors detecting the dark aura from the new opponent.

"Level 18, nice," Liz said as she looked to her Pokémon. "Flaaffy, use Thunder Wave! Titania, use Disarming Voice!"

Both Pokémon reacted precisely, with Flaaffy firing a ball of static electricity at Makuhita. The fighting type tried to move out of the way, but the Thunder Wave still hit his foot as he leapt to roll away. Titania followed the paralyzing shot with a shriek, with the soundwaves glowing a light pink. While the cry was as irritating as nails on a chalkboard, it was effective as it hit the Shadow Pokémon, leaving it with barely any health.

"Shadow Blitz," the Peon said angrily.

Makuhita sprinted forward, a red aura flaring out along with the black aura that came with Shadow attacks.

 _Oh, shit. He's got Guts,_ Liz thought as the Makuhita slammed into Flaaffy, dropping her health by almost two thirds of her maximum. The devastating impact even knocked her to the ground, making her slide to Liz's feet just as her trainer finished programing a snag. "You want to be an ass and beat your Pokémon?" she asked. "Then I'll just take them from you." She threw a Great Ball the moment it materialized in her hand. The energy hand extended from the ball and grabbed Makuhita, pulling it inside, and shaking a couple times before snapping shut. She was quick to help Flaaffy up, using a Super Potion to heal the electric sheep. "Thank you both for working so hard," Liz said to her two Pokémon, getting a nuzzle from both, Sylveon standing on Liz's right thigh to nuzzle her face, and Flaaffy by her left side.

"Liz, you're always so kind," Michael said to himself as the Peon left the building, leaving his Pokémon unconscious and on the floor. Michael, however, noticed two crushed capture matrices on the ground. "Seems those two aren't his Pokémon anymore. I guess they can now go to the right trainers for them."

"Hey, Michael, I'm worried that the main newsroom is still being held hostage. I'm going to take care of them there," Liz said after picking up Makuhita's new Great Ball.

"Alright, then I'm coming with you," Michael said with determination in his voice.

* * *

Over in Hoenn, Gwen was sitting in a daze on the family couch. They had the television set to the channel for the Orre News Broadcast Station, which was currently showing live video of one of the members of Cipher pestering Ancha for her autograph. It would've been mildly amusing under any other circumstances, almost like a bad comedy sketch, but Gwen was so deep in a depression that nothing registered. Suddenly, the sound of a door opening behind the camera. The man by the news table turned around, as did the camera, showing two eighteen-year-olds, Gwen perked up a when she saw that they were the two whose dreams she'd entered. She immediately levitated the remote and hit record for the DVR.

"Hey, who the hell are you two?" Don't you know that Cipher is controlling this place now?"

The boy spoke up. "And now we're here to kick you out." He pulled out two Pokéballs with a look of determination that reminded her of Brendan. It started to give her a sense of hope. She watched the battle that started, with the Cipher member's Rhyhorn, Qwilfish, Chinchou, and Koffing all facing Michael's Jolteon, apparently named Nick, and his Spheal, named Boreas.

 _Wait, I think I remember seeing those names on a list of Pokémon on the Libra with Alicia. Michael's saved them, and now he's coming for Alicia,_ she said, joy in her voice.

Brendan, having sensed Gwen's hopefulness, came into the room, seeing the battle on the screen. "Gwen, are those two…?"

 _Yes, they're the ones I found in Orre. Michael Orison, and Elizabeth Hanz,_ she said. _And they're at ONBS to drive out Cipher._

As she said that, Nick fired a Shock Wave, finishing the Cipher Peon's final Pokémon, Koffing. To both of their surprise, the man didn't even bother to recall his Pokémon. Instead, he crushed their Pokéballs under his feet before leaving, saying that Cipher would beat Michael into submission for this.

Michael then walked up to Ancha and the crew, seeing the man who had his limbs crushed by Alicia laying on the ground, but there were a few crew members trying their best to tend to him until paramedics arrived. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Thanks to you, yes," the newswoman said.

"Do you know if the three who attacked this room earlier are still in the building?"

"Yeah, they are. Bitt sent a message saying that they were using Megg as a hostage to get back a piece of technology…or something like that."

Michael nodded, realizing that the SD Card they'd brought earlier was what drew Cipher here. He then turned to face the camera. "If the Maple family in Hoenn happens to see this, I promise we will save Alicia."

Gwen looked excited for the first time in nearly a month now. _I believe him. He's got the same spirit as you,_ she said with a smile.

"Maybe we can all go to see them in Orre once they've handled the crisis," Brendan said. "And then you can have a battle with Alicia too."

 _I'd love that,_ Gwen said. _I just hope she can match me._

"She's your daughter, and she's got Samuel's genes going for her too. She might just surpass you if you aren't careful," Brendan said with a teasing voice.

 _I wouldn't mind if she did,_ Gwen said with a soft, motherly tone.

"Really?" Brendan asked.

 _It's only natural for kids to become better than their parents…just like Selena and your second kid will eventually surpass you and May so you can both retire._

"Yeah," Brendan said. "You're right about that. Just glad that May won't be going into labor at the Grand Festival this time around."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault you couldn't keep your hands to yourself till after the wedding," May said from the doorway.

Brendan just laughed slightly before turning to the television. ONBS had apparently switched to video feed from the building's security cameras, specifically where Michael and Liz were in the building.

"And now we get to watch them save the day…kind of like we did with Aqua and Magma," May said with amusement as she heard Selena's little feet hitting the ground as she ran toward the room. May just waited for her little look-a-like, scooping up the little girl and walking into the room so they could all sit on the couch together and watch the promising new trainers.

* * *

Michael and Liz were about to get to the next elevator when they came across a woman in the Cipher uniform. "I'm taking this one," Liz said.

"Go for it," Michael said, sitting back.

Liz stepped forward, holding the Pokéballs containing Flaaffy and Artemis. "Hey, lady," she called out confidently.

The Cipher member turned. "Perfect, my Shadow Pokémon could use a victim." She then sent out two Pokémon, one was a Spinarak, the other was a Beautifly.

"Looks like I made a good choice with my team. Go, Flaaffy and Artemis," Liz said as she sent out the two Pokémon, unaware that she'd just caused a certain five-year-old girl to squeal with delight at the sight of the two cute Pokémon.

"Spinarak, use Night Shade on Flaaffy. Beautifly, use Gust on both of them," the Peon said, her voice showing confidence for some reason. The Spinarak's horn then began to glow with ghostly energy, firing it at Flaaffy, while Beautifly began beating her wings quickly, a miniature tornado forming and flying at Artemis.

"Flaaffy, counter that with Thunder Shock!" Liz said, with a smirk. "And Artemis, dodge and use Metal Claw on Beautifly." The Teddiursa leapt up as her claws began to shimmer. She slashed through the tornado as she went, then hit Beautifly out of the sky with pinpoint accuracy, hitting the bug-type towards Spinarak. Meanwhile, Flaaffy's attack had not only stopped Spinarak's Night Shade, it had started to overpower it.

Beautifly landed on her teammate just as the Thunder Shock hit them both. They both landed hard, collapsing from the impacts. _That shouldn't have been enough,_ Liz thought as the Cipher Peon ignored her injured Pokémon, sending out her next two Pokémon. The first was the venomous purple moth with green patterned wings, Dustox, which looked haggard now. The second one set off the Shadow Monitor. The six-tailed fox Pokémon in front of Liz almost made her cry for how poorly it was being treated. The poor creature was clearly not being fed at all, to the point that her ribs were showing.

"How dare you," Liz said, her teeth gritted. "You starve your Pokémon. You're not even human."

"Oh, fuck off," the Peon said. "This makes them stronger. If they can deal with hunger pains, then they can handle battle pain."

Liz just programmed a snag and threw the ball immediately. She could almost see a glint of hope in the fire-type's eyes as she was pulled into the Pokéball, which didn't even shake before snapping shut. "Looks like your methods are dumber than you are," she said. Flaaffy then shocked Dustox, which Artemis followed with another Metal Claw. It was basically a mercy at that point.

"You think that's true, but you have no idea. I'm just a grunt," the Peon said as she dropped her Pokéball belt. Liz and Michael both wanted so badly to knock out the woman, but they restrained themselves, seeing that the malnourished Pokémon needed help right away. They recalled the Pokémon, deciding to backtrack a bit, going back down the first elevator and into what they assumed to be the employee break room. They also found the man Liz had knocked out earlier, still on the floor. Apparently, his colleagues didn't try to move him. Michael relieved the man of his Pokéball belt before they continued. They then found their way to an employee breakroom, carrying the injured Pokémon that didn't have Pokéballs anymore. They found two employees still there, both looked to be about twenty-five, most likely interns.

"Who the hell are you two?" the girl asked, sounding scared.

"We're here to help, but we need some help with these injured Pokémon. Cipher is just abandoning them after losing battles," Michael explained. "Can we trust you two to look after them? Some were severely abused."

The guy looked at his coworker, and she nodded. "We'll help however we can," he said.

"Just so you know, there's a Spinarak, a Beautifly, and a Dustox that were starved by their trainer. Do you guys have Pokémon food down here too?"

"Certainly," the boy said. "Just leave it all to us." He then pulled out two sleek black Pokéballs with gold trim. "Please, take these to help with the battles to come."

"Luxury Balls?" Michael asked. "Are you sure you want to just give us these?"

"You're Michael and Liz, right? Secc mentioned you two in a staff meeting just before Cipher showed up. We really want to help you two against Cipher in any way we can."

Satisfied with that response, Michael and Liz took one Luxury Ball each, then went back up the elevator. Liz, however, had started looking through her bag, pulling out a can of Pokémon food. "I can't let Vulpix wait another minute for food. Please, keep going, and I promise I'll catch up," she said, finding a small bench, pulling out the fire-type's new Pokéball.

"Alright. Just be careful that Cipher doesn't get the better of you," he said.

Liz just rolled her eyes as she let out the Shadow Pokémon. "The Peons couldn't get the better of me if they outnumbered me five to one." The moment Liz opened the food container, Michael saw a quick glimmer of emotion in the fire-type's eyes. Its hunger clearly overrode her lack of emotion. Just as he got to the next elevator, he saw Liz holding Vulpix and hand-feeding it happily, giggling at how eager the little Pokémon was for food.

Michael took out his phone and snapped a picture of the scene before deciding to keep going. As much as he liked seeing Liz happy, he had a promise to keep.

Michael fought two easy battles using Erebus and Shroomish, which resulted in the Peons abandoning a Gulpin, a Mareep, a Luvdisc, a Bellossom, along with a Furret, a Zigzagoon, a Delibird, and a Togetic.

Once the second battle was over, Liz caught up to Michael, who was using a healing machine on the current floor. "So, how'd it go feeding Vulpix?"

"She inhaled the food, then promptly fell asleep beside me," Liz said with a smile. "Her heart gauge dropped halfway just from that."

"You're kidding," Michael said, surprised that something so simple had such an effect.

"I was surprised too," Liz said as she took her turn at the healing machine, the energizing green light shining brightly.

"I wonder what calling them by their real name would do," Michael thought out loud.

Liz smirked as she finished restoring her team, walking with Michael toward the staircase. They were met by another Peon. "So, you two came, did you? Lovrina told us to give you a thrashing."

"That's weird, because we basically walked through the others like they weren't even there. And they dropped all their Pokémon," Michael said.

"Oh, they're culling the weak from our organization, as our boss instructed," the Peon said, almost in a monologue tone. "Now, I'll take you both out."

Liz smirked, taking the lead with this one. "I got this one," she said.

"Go for it," Michael said, leaning against a wall as he saw Liz take out the Pokéballs of both Titania and the newly snagged Makuhita.

"Sneasel, Yanma, let's teach this hussy a lesson," the Peon said.

Liz just sent out her two Pokémon. "Come out, Titania and Makuhita," she said with determination in her voice. The long-clawed dark ice-type appeared, the tuft on his head standing up, as was the case with most males of his species. Beside him was the red dragonfly Pokémon with green eyes and a relatively happy look on his face.

Without missing a beat, as soon as the Sylveon and Makuhita appeared, Liz immediately gave a command. "Titania, use Disarming Voice. Makuhita, use Shadow Blitz on Yanma.

"Yanma, Sonic Boom on Makuhita. Sneasel, use Ice Shard of that prissy blue bitch," he said. Liz's eyes went from competitive to almost psychotic at the insult. She could take getting words thrown her way, but insulting her Pokémon was too far. Sneasel was able to fire a spear of ice at Titania, which scratched the fairy type's cheek as she tried to dodge the fast shot. She grimaced before screaming, sending sonic waves out again, which hit both Sneasel and Yanma. The ice-type dropped to his knee, and Yanma staggered in the air, dropping to the level where Makuhita's aura-wrapped charge could make contact. Unfortunately, Makuhita charged head-on into the cone of pressurized air created through the bug-type's Sonic Boom.

Though he took damage, the Shadow Pokémon kept moving, hitting his target almost savagely. It then grabbed Yanma and began to slam the bug into the ground like it was a hammer. Liz went wide-eyed, not wanting to see a Pokémon hurt permanently. "Come back, now!" she called as she had Makuhita return to his Pokéball immediately.

"Why stop him? That useless bug should be crushed for his failure," the Peon said.

"Because, unlike you, I actually care about what happens to these Pokémon," Liz said as she picked Flaaffy's Pokéball next. The Peon also pulled out his next Pokéball. "Flaaffy, you're up now!"

"Well, princess, I'll just beat you with a Pokémon that the hero of Orre raised. Go, Misdreavus!" the Peon said, sending out a dark blue specter, which looked like the head of a woman with hair blowing in the wind, with a pink pearl necklace around her neck. It was a strong ghost-type with powerful special attacks, but Liz knew she could still win here. After all, Orre natives knew a lot about Misdreavus after Wes raised one, and later battled with

"Titania, finish that Sneasel with another Disarming Voice. Flaaffy, Thunder Shock on Misdreavus!" the brunette said with passion. The two Pokémon responded quickly, with the Sylveon shouting harshly, and Flaaffy's wool buzzing with electricity.

"Psywave, and Icy Wind!" the Peon said disdainfully. Despite his commands, however, Sneasel and Misdreavus refused to move, as if protesting to their trainer's treatment.

"Huh, looks like they don't even want to try to win for you," Liz said to her opponent, who just scowled as his two Pokémon were hit with the incoming attacks, both of them getting knocked out from the hits.

"Useless pieces of garbage," the Peon said, taking out his next Pokéball. "Shadow Pokémon really are the better way to go for Cipher. Now, Duskull, get out here!"

The Pokémon that came out was another ghost type, this one was all black, with a skull mask over a red orb of energy. It looked like it was wearing a black cloak too. As the Duskull appeared, the Shadow Monitors both gave an alert.

"So, a Shadow Duskull," Michael muttered.

"Shadow Wave, knock them both out now!"

"Flaaffy, use Thunder Wave, and Titania, use Bite!" All three Pokémon began to power up, with two orbs of shadow aura flying across the field as the ghost-type waved his arms eerily. Titania rolled to the side, but the aura still exploded on the ground, knocking her to the floor from the force, causing her to slide down the staircase a little. Liz looked concerned now, but she was relieved when she saw Titania stand up, even if she was shaking slightly. Flaaffy, however, was only able to fire her Thunder Wave moments before getting hit directly by the Shadow Wave. Duskull wasn't able to dodge the incoming static, but the massive amounts of damage done to both of his opponents was worth it to his trainer. Flaaffy was knocked out on the floor. Titania then ran forward, managing to pull the Shadow Pokémon in with her ribbons before biting hard, dark energy coating her teeth as she bit.

Liz looked at her Battle Monitor glasses, seeing that Duskull's health had fallen by two-thirds. "Time for a snag," she said, quickly programming her target, then throwing the Pokéball as it materialized. Michael just watched the ball roll and snap shut, but he couldn't help but feel like he was hearing a voice crying for help somewhere nearby. It wasn't actually audible, more of a sensation, but it was distant, like the voice was muffled by water. He barely noticed as the Peon left, his Pokémon still out and injured on the ground.

"Hey, Liz," Michael said. "I'm going to the roof now. You want to come with me?"

"I'll catch up once I heal these Pokémon," Liz said. "It's just good he dropped his Pokéballs too. Plus, I can tell what you're thinking. Go save her."

Michael smiled at his best friend turned girlfriend, kissed her on the cheek to tell her that he'd be okay, then went up the stairs quickly, opening the door and seeing two people on the roof, with the orange light from the setting sun making a more dramatic setting. Detro was closer to the stairs, while a Cipher Peon was standing by the door to Nett's office. This Peon, however, was familiar from the broadcast earlier.

"Why don't you Cipher pricks just leave us all alone?" Detro said angrily.

"Isn't it obvious?" the Peon said with a smirk. "We're trying to control the whole world. We can't have you, or other news stations smearing us."

Michael couldn't wait any longer, stepping forward, ready to send out Nick and Erebus together. "So, you're the one holding Alicia, right?" he asked.

The Peon looked up. "Yeah, that's me. And you're the punk who's fucking with Cipher lately. What, do you want to battle me?"

"Do I need to really answer that?" Michael asked, sending out his Jolteon and Houndour.

"Well, then I'll just crush you," the Peon said. "Go Kadabra, and Flaaffy!"

Michael's Battle Monitor activated, and he saw that both his opponents were at level 22, compared to Nick being level 25, and Erebus being level 23. He knew this would be about as difficult as the other Peons, so he took the initiative. "Erebus, Feint Attack on Kadabra. Nick, use Quick Attack on Flaaffy."

"Kadabra, Confusion on that Jolteon. Flaaffy, Thunder Shock on Houndour," Feldas said, feeling confident he would win this battle and earn a promotion.

Nick was the first to move, becoming a blur as he slammed into the sheep Pokémon hard. The attack even managed to knock the other electric type off balance as he fired his Thunder Shock. While he was trying to hit Erebus, the lightning wound up getting shot into the sky, charging the air around them for a moment.

Kadabra started to gather psychic energy after Jolteon's Quick Attack, but it was too fast for Erebus to intervene. The energy snaked around Nick's legs, and he fell hard as he was trying to get more distance between himself and Flaaffy. Michael was worried for his first Pokémon, but Nick was already on his feet and shaking himself off. He was too tough for that to give him more than a few scratches.

Erebus, however, began to growl almost menacingly. It was the first time that Michael had heard the dark-type growl like that. That's when he saw that Erebus had grown to level 24. "Wait…Houndour is supposed to…" He didn't need to finish his question, as Erebus began to glow brilliantly. His body grew to four and a half feet tall. His tail grew out, with an arrowhead tip. He grew three ridges across his back, with a ridge shaped like a necklace with a skull-shaped charm. To finish, the dog grew horns and a longer snout. With a howl, the glowing ceased, and Erebus had fully evolved into a Houndoom. His expression was one of protective aggression as he ran forward and suddenly vanished into a shadow being cast by the setting sun. As he did, Kadabra seemed to lose focus on him long enough for the dark-type to then reappear under the psychic-type, crashing into his target.

Michael was in shock for a moment at the sudden evolution, and at how fast Erebus was now, but then he noticed that Kadabra had been defeated by that one hit. Michael was elated at the Pokémon's progress, but he was brought back to the battle when Feldas sent out his next Pokémon. It was one that Michael recognized from watching Brendan Maple's battles so many times.

"A Vigoroth," he said, with determination. "Erebus, torch that Flaaffy with Ember. Nick, hit that sloth with Shock Wave."

Nick turned fast, gathering electricity then unleashing it in a sickle-shaped wave, the shot moving quickly.

"Vigoroth, use Endure!" Feldas said. "Flaaffy, Thunder Wave on that Houndoom!"

Nick was the first to move again, his incredible speed being a huge advantage for this battle, but Vigoroth began to tense up, like he was bracing for the attack. Shock Wave hit him hard, almost dropping his health to zero. So, Michael was shocked to see that Vigoroth held on with just a sliver of his health. Flaaffy, however, was not so lucky, firing a ball of static at Houndoom. Unfortunately for Feldas, Erebus drowned out the static electricity as he shot out a ball of fire, which dissipated the electricity as the two attacks collided. The fire then struck Flaaffy hard, knocking him out of the fight.

Feldas then smirked as he pulled out his next Pokéball. "Seems you want to save her," he said tauntingly. "For starters, Vigoroth, use Reversal on that Houndoom."

Vigoroth immediately became covered with a golden energy that seemed to crackle with power. The sloth ape began to sprint toward Erebus, only for Nick to intercept him with a Quick Attack, knocking him out finally.

Feldas just smirked. "Well, guess I'll just leave now, so you won't be able to snag it. You can go fuck yourself." The Peon then began to walk away. He was met with a fist clad in chrome metal punching into the abdominal gap in his armor. The hit knocked the air from his lungs as Michael grabbed Alicia's Pokéball from the Peon's hand.

"Actually, I think I'll try catching her without battling for her," he said, getting the Luxury Ball out of the Snag Machine. Feldas just collapsed and passed out.

With a deep breath, Michael took a knee and opened Alicia's Pokéball, letting out the Shadow Pokémon.

 _ **~A~**_

As light flooded her eyes, Alicia looked up indifferently at her surroundings, seeing her tormenter on the ground, but she felt nothing. At least, her body didn't feel any emotions. Inside her mind, the little Ralts had created a sort of body for herself. In the time since Cipher had broken her, she had slowly felt her mind detach from her body enough to make her realize what had truly happened. Her personality and conscience were no longer controlling her body. The shadows stopped any and all resistance she ever tried to muster, making her merely a spectator in her own body.

Then she looked up and saw human boy, smiling at her with concern. His green eyes seemed familiar with their color. W _ait…who do I know with green like that?_ She saw an image of a Gardevoir in her mind, and she thought she recognized who it was, but her mind was so clouded she couldn't remember the Pokémon.

 _And…for that matter…who am I anyway?_ Alicia asked herself, looking around the area until she saw two Pokémon. _No, stay away!_ She screamed from in her mind. She knew it was pointless, being forced to watch everything Cipher had made her body do, yet being unable to resist the commands no matter how hard she tried.

 _I'm a monster_ , she thought as she remembered the horrific injuries she'd given to the man in the newsroom. She'd tried desperately to stop herself, but all that earned her was a twitch that looked like a wince. She wanted to cry out in anguish as she felt her body moving, lifting her arms, gathering the cold aura that she'd been surrounded by since Cipher broke her, and forming another Shadow Wave.

That was when she heard a crunching sound, like a piece of metal had just snapped in half. Her head turned and she saw the boy with her open Pokéball in his right hand, and a crushed capture matrix in his hand. _Wait…no. I'm too dangerous to be freed. Stop, please!_ Her body kept gathering energy, aiming it for the boy now. Despite seeing the attack that would surely kill him if it hit, the boy just smiled softly.

"Alicia, you can stop now," he said kindly. The shadow aura vanished immediately.

 _Wait…he's…talking to me. He called me Alicia,_ she thought. He then surprised her further by holding out a Luxury Ball in his hand.

"Your mother asked me to help you. But, I want to do more than that. Want to be friends?"

His kindness pierced through the shadows in her mind, bringing back some of the light that Cipher had snuffed out. _Mom? I have a mom?_ Alicia's mind began to get brighter as she steadily broke through the shadows. Shakily, she managed to take control of her hand long enough to lift it to the activation button on the Luxury Ball. _Show me, please. Show me who I am._ With the touch, the black Pokéball pulled her in, and she immediately felt so much comfort that she refused to fight it. _Maybe this is my real home._

She didn't know that, across the world, her mother was cheering for joy, giving her family more joy in one moment than she'd felt in the month since the _Libra_ vanished.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I appreciate you also being patient with how many battles there are in each chapter. Trust me, I'm trying to keep variety, but there are just too many important battles in the game to skip them.**

 **As usual, please leave a review, and let me know where I can improve. It's always appreciated**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	15. Chapter 15 - Saving a Soul

_Saving a Soul_

Michael stood up after catching Alicia. "Hey Liz, I'm going to go heal my team before going into Nett's office," he said, seeing that the brunette was watching him in amazement.

"Okay, I get that…but how did you manage to pull that capture off?" Liz asked.

"I don't know," Michael said. "I just said what I felt, and she went along with it. It was honestly luck that she didn't fire that shot at me."

Liz just hugged him tightly. "Just don't be reckless like that again. Promise me you won't," her voice held a concern Michael had never heard from her in all the eighteen years they'd known each other.

Michael went a bit wide-eyed at her tone, but quickly softened his expression and hugged her back, resting his hand on the small of her back. "All right, I promise I'll be careful," he said.

"Good. But I'll hold you to that," she said. "And I'm going forward to Nett's office. Megg is still in trouble. And, who knows, I might steal the hero spotlight this time."

Michael laughed softly as he let go of her, and went down the stairs to the healing machine on the lower floor.

Liz just took a breath, then stepped toward the office. Detro looked worried. "You sure you can do this?"

"We won't know until I try," she said as she walked through the door.

Inside, she saw the massive hulk of a Cipher Peon that was in the broadcast, and he was holding Megg by the back of her neck. "I'll ask you once more. Hand over the card, or I will snap this pretty girl's neck." Liz heard Megg almost squeak in fear as the commander's grip seemed to tighten.

Bitt and Nett were both close to the office's desk, Nett gritting his teeth as he looked at the computer next to him briefly, noticing Liz behind the Cipher commander. "Fine, you can have it," he said, taking the SD card from the computer and holding it up. "Just let her go first."

The commander smirked with confidence, letting go of Megg's bruised neck. With an incredibly fast motion, he snatched the card from Nett's hand. "Good. Oh, and by the way," he started. "You think I didn't know that you were just stalling for time until the files were all copied?"

Nett looked concerned now. "How did you know?"

"A few reasons. It's common to copy files of an enemy organization. Plus, you kept looking at the screen while I was threatening to kill your little sister," he said. "And I'm guessing you're wondering why I'm not worried." As if on cue, the video phone's big-screen lit up, and one of the Peons appeared on screen.

"Sir, all files relating to Cipher in any way have been erased from the ONBS servers, including any and all back-ups we found along the way. We also destroyed information used by the Kid's Grid ten years ago just to be thorough. Mission accomplished, sir," the man on the screen said.

"See, you don't have any information on us anymore. That includes things that weren't even on this file," he said. That's when he noticed Liz's presence behind him. "And, just like that, it seems that you've made it up here. You're still too late, though. Cipher has won today."

"Then I'll just beat your ass like a drum, and take that SD card from you," Liz said. "Just like I beat all your other goons downstairs."

"Oh, I'm nothing like the grunts you faced," he said menacingly. "I'll just show you, rather than being all talk the way you are." He pulled out two Pokéballs. "Go, Loudred and Girafarig."

"Duskull, Artemis, come out so we can teach him a lesson," Liz said, sending out the Teddiursa, and the newest Shadow Pokémon on her team. Across from her was a purple, bipedal Pokémon with amps for ears, paired with a massive mouth. Next to it was an equine creature, with one half covered in tan fur with black diamonds along its sides. The other half, however, was all black with tan diamonds, and its tail looked like a demented spherical head.

"Duskull, Shadow Wave. Artemis, Metal Claw," Liz said as confidently as she could.

"Girafarig, use Shadow Ball on the traitorous Duskull. Loudred, Stomp that pathetic Teddiursa into the ground!"

It all went too fast for either Liz, or her Pokémon to react. Loudred leapt up and dropped hard on top of Artemis, his feet hitting her in the face hard enough to knock her out immediately. Simultaneously, the Girafarig fired a ball of black ectoplasm at the Shadow Duskull, the ball exploded on impact. Neither of Liz's team had time to even begin their attacks before being knocked out.

"W-what?" Liz asked, unsure what just happened.

"You think you're so good for beating Lovrina and our underlings? We've been _letting_ you win. Well, I'm not doing that. I'm pummeling your pathetic Pokémon into the dust," Exol said angrily.

Liz gritted her teeth and got out her next two Pokémon. "Vulpix, Flaaffy, I need your help!" she says in a pleading tone. The two Pokémon appeared, with Sylveon and Flaaffy both looking worried from their trainer's tone. "Vulpix, Shadow Wave. Flaaffy, use Thunder Shock on Loudred!"

"Both of you, use Stomp. Finish this pathetic weakling," Exol said. This time, both Girafarig and Loudred leapt up and landed hard on their opponents. Vulpix and Flaaffy were both almost instantly taken out of the battle. Liz, with fear in her eyes, recalled them and hesitantly took out Titania's Pokéball.

"Please, Titania. I need a miracle!" she said, sending out the blue Sylveon. "Please, use Echoed Voice!"

"Same as before," Exol said without any emotion. The two Pokémon immediately began their assaults, their feet hitting their targets hard, knocking Titania to the ground.

The fairy-type was able to struggle to her feet after the attacks, but only barely. She was about to use her vocal attack when Loudred took notice. Without even using an attack, the sound Pokémon whipped around and struck the fairy-type with a devastating back-fist, knocking her out. Liz hear the door open behind her, knowing it would be Michael.

She didn't care, dropping to her knees as she saw Exol smirk in a gloating way. She recalled Flaaffy, then started cradling Titania. "I'm so sorry, Titania. I rushed in and you got hurt because of it," she said through fresh tears. "I'm a terrible trainer." Sylveon was still knocked out, not hearing her trainer's regretful voice.

Michael saw the end of the battle, his teeth gritting angrily. "So, winning wasn't enough?" Michael said. "You went for breaking her spirit?"

"Aww, did baby's girl get beat. You think you'll fare any better? Let's see what your crappy team is," Exol said angrily.

"Crappy?" Michael asked, seeing some electricity coursing over Loudred's body, which Exol seemed to miss. Apparently, Flaaffy's Static ability had paralyzed the Big Voice Pokémon. Michael knew that would make a big difference for this battle. "We'll just see about that," he said with confidence. "Nick, Erebus, let's show him what we can do!" The Houndoom appeared, looking regal and proud. The Jolteon, however, noticed Titania was injured, and the bruise forming on her head was looking exactly like the footprint of the Loudred across from him. The electric type began to growl intensely, sparks flying out wildly with his rage.

"Loudred, Girafarig, teach this bleeding-heart he can't win!" Exol said angrily as his two Pokémon stepped forward. Michael knew Erebus and Nick were faster than their opponents by far. "Girafarig, Stomp! Loudred, Uproar!"

Michael's battle monitor showed that his opponents were both three levels higher than his strongest Pokémon. "Nick, Shock Wave on Loudred. Erebus, use Feint Attack on Girafarig."

With electricity already flying from his body, Nick fired off a blast faster than Michael had ever seen him do before. Loudred's body was rigid with the electricity coursing through him, making him unable to even move, let alone dodge or counter-attack. The wave of lightning hit Loudred, knocking the Pokémon back, making him cry out in protest. Nick didn't care as he continued his attack. This creature had hurt the female he loved. There would be no mercy. Loudred tried to cry out for an attack, but his vocal cords were unable to work properly with the current through his body.

Simultaneously, Erebus sprinted at Girafarig, his body fading into a shadow on the floor. He quickly reappeared behind the Long Neck Pokémon, slamming into the psychic type hard.

"Great hits!" Michael said happily. "Keep going, and show this bastard that Cipher won't win over us!"

"You think you can win? The Grand Master would have a field day with destroying you if he so chose. He just likes toying with his meals." In a short time, Loudred was unconscious, while the Girafarig was struggling to stand. That didn't stop the Psychic-type from trying to run at Jolteon, raising his hoof to try and stomp on the electric type.

Before he could lower his foot, though, Girafarig collapsed to the side, passing out. "Fucking weaklings…" Exol said with a growl. "Fine. Time for my real powerhouses. Mawile, Raichu, take them out now!" The first Pokémon to come out was an orangish mouse with a long tail tipped by a yellow lightning bolt. It also had yellow dots on its cheeks, yellow ears with brown markings on his back. The second Pokémon was more worrying, especially when it triggered the Shadow Monitor. While her cream-colored body was like that of a small girl, the massive black maw filled with razor-sharp teeth that extended from the top of her head like a ponytail was what stood out.

"Raichu, Focus Blast on that Houndoom. Mawile, Shadow Wave. Now!" The two Pokémon immediately began to move. Mawile gathered an orb of her shadow aura splitting it in two, and throwing both at her opponents. Raichu just held back for a bit, gathering a mass of gold energy in front of him.

"Erebus, use Ember on Raichu!" Michael said. "Nick, Thunder Wave on Mawile!" His command came too late. While Nick shot a ball of static at his target accurately, Erebus couldn't outpace his opponent. Raichu launched the Focus Blast faster than Erebus could even begin to gather flames for his own attack. The shot and the Shadow Wave collided in midair, but instead of exploding, they fused into a single attack and knocked Erebus out before the fire-type even hit the ground.

"No, Erebus!" Michael called out with clear worry, wanting to go to his Pokémon to help him. But the damage was done already, and going out there would just get him hurt. He recalled Erebus quickly, then reached for his belt. _Boreas would be a bad match up with both of them. Shroomish might help, but she's at too low of a level for now this battle. I could try with Trapinch._ In the end, Michael pulled out Shroomish's ball and threw it. "Please, lend me your strength," Michael said. The Shadow Shroomish appeared and looked rather happy to be in battle. "Shroomish hit Raichu with Shadow Blitz. Nick, use Shock Wave again!"

"Mawile, Shadow Rush. Raichu, use Dig," Exol said commandingly.

"Hey, don't damage my office floor!" Nett said. "It's expens-" Exol backhanded the ONBS executive.

"I will do whatever I want, you little prick. You're lucky I didn't get orders to just silence you outright," Exol said as his Raichu punched into the stone floor and broke through it, making a tunnel as he went.

Michael was more concerned about how the Raichu knew Dig, unless Cipher forced it to learn the attack with experimentation. Before he could think further, Michael looked on in horror as the Raichu launched himself out of the ground and directly into Nick's stomach. Nick was thrown into the air, sending him crashing into the ceiling as he cried out. "This…is becoming a massacre," Michael worries aloud. Shroomish then managed to slam into Raichu with her Shadow Blitz. The electric mouse reacted like Arnold Schwarzenegger taking a drop kick, then the Shadow Rush that followed from Mawile knocked Shroomish forward and directly into a chilling Ice Punch from the Raichu, knocking her out just as quickly.

Michael was in shock as he quickly recalled his two Pokémon. Now, he had Trapinch, and Boreas left, with Alicia as a last resort. He went with the two he'd had longer. "Come out, Trapinch and Boreas. Show them what you can do." The Spheal and Trapinch both came out with serious expressions. Without waiting for a command, Boreas made his move. He quickly fired a Water Pulse, aiming for Mawile.

The Steel Pokémon just seemed to scoff, letting the attack hit her like it was nothing. "Too weak," Exol taunted, not noticing a disoriented look in Mawile's eyes. "Thunderbolt!" Raichu instantly fired off a searing blast of lightning with more than double the power of Nick's usual blasts, and it was heading for Boreas directly.

While Boreas tried to roll away, the electricity had a stray bolt that hit its mark. With the new charge on the water-type, the rest of the electricity was redirected into his body, zapping him until he passed out, some electrical burns on his body. Michael could tell it would leave a scar on the Spheal's body, likely even after evolution.

"Boreas, come back. I promise, I'll get you healed soon!" Michael said. " _Gwen, I am so sorry for this, but I need to put Alicia into danger._ "

Michael took the newly filled Luxury Ball off his belt. "Alicia, please help me. I can't win this without you," he said.

Liz watched on, still holding Titania as she watched the little white Pokémon with green hair.

Inside her own mind, Alicia was barely able to take some sense of control of her body. Hearing her name from a caring person, even if only twice, had been enough to help her break free except for the last few specks of shadow clouding her mind.

 _Human…c-can you hear me?_ Alicia asked. She noticed Michael seeming to react slightly. Michael thought he heard a voice in his head, but it was too faint to make out a single word. _Guess not. Might be too soon right now._

"Trapinch, use Bulldoze. Alicia," he was stopped when Alicia began to form a Reflect barrier around herself. _She's got good intuition already._

Trapinch moved quickly, stomping on the ground hard, sending shockwaves through the ground. The floor stayed strong, but Raichu and Mawile did not, both stumbling. Michael noticed that both were now moving with less stability, their legs shaking as they moved. "Maybe I can snag this Mawile," Michael said, noticing that Alicia had taken no damage at all, looking better than what a Reflect would've normally allowed. _Is her ability telepathy?_

Michael took his time to program a targeted snag, aiming for Mawile. He put his arm out to the side and let a Pokéball materialize in the palm of his hand. "Mawile, you're mine!" he said as he threw the Pokéball, the snag hand grabbing the Steel-type, pulling it inside. The ball bounced a few times, rolling as the occupant seemed to fight for freedom. Luckily, the ball held tightly and clicked shut, with sparks flying up to indicate a successful capture.

At that moment, Michael felt searing pain in his head, noticing a prompt on his battle monitor. Alicia had gone into Reverse Mode, and he was feeling every searing moment of her pain too. _It hurts_ , Alicia said, her mental body clutching her own head in severe pain. _I can't take this pain!_

"Alicia, please, calm down! I promised Gwen I would save you!" Michael pleaded.

 _G-Gwen?_ Alicia asked herself, the pain beginning to fade. She then started to see images of a Gardevoir that seemed to give her a sense of overwhelming happiness and safety. _He means Mom!_

Almost immediately, Michael saw the red aura fade away, and the intense pain had faded. There was still a throbbing pain still there, as if Michael was starting to feel what Alicia was feeling.

"Trapinch, use another Bulldoze. Alicia, use Confusion to finish this!" Michael said confidently.

"Raichu, Body Slam on that traitorous Ralts," Exol said. The Raichu then leapt into the air, aiming for Alicia.

 _My…name…is Alicia Maple!_ Alicia shouted, her voice sounding through the entire room, psychic power radiating out as she grabbed the Raichu, slamming him into the ground just as Trapinch launched her own attack, the second wave of the ground-type attack, hitting her mark hard. Michael saw Raichu's health bar fall to zero. Exol just scoffed.

"So, the punk is stronger than the bitch. But you're still weak. Even Snattle could make quick work out of you," Exol said, dropping his Pokéballs on the ground. "But, me losing is meaningless. You have no data, and nothing to pursue us on. Cipher will be victorious." With that he sprinted out of the room, going to leave the building entirely.

Nett waited a second before walking over and sitting on one of his couches, looking beaten. "Damn it…they won…" he said with the tone of a defeated man.

"Hey, we can still beat them," Michael said. "Maybe something they said tipped you guys off?"

"Actually…yeah…" Megg said. "That mention of Snattle…they said that name a lot, along with them mentioning Phenac City."

"I think I heard Exol mention him as he was leaving, but I don't know for sure," Bitt said.

Nett perked up. "Michael, Liz, we have a team in Phenac City right now. Marcia and Cameran could be in serious danger. "I know you just saved us, but please help us with this too."

"Well, we have some purifications to do first, so we'll go to Agate Village first and get our teams healed," Michael said, recalling Trapinch and Alicia while walking over to Liz as she recalled Titania, looking depressed.

"Right…we need to heal them quickly too, or there could be permanent damage," Liz said.

"Use the healing machine on the way down," Nett suggested.

"Oh, come on bro," Megg said. "You saw what happened there. These two deserve some rest." She then approached Michael and Liz. "Can we count on you two going to Phenac City tomorrow?"

"Of course," Michael said with a kind smile.

"Maybe I'll actually be able to help there," Liz said as she stood up, dusting herself off as she prepared to leave. "Well, Michael. I'm ready whenever you are," she said.

Michael turned to face Nett. "By the way. Every Cipher member abandoned their Pokémon here. I think ONBS would benefit from having your staff train them in case something like this happens again."

Nett nodded. "I understand. We'll take good care of them," he said with a slight smile. With that reassurance, Michael and Liz both left the building.

* * *

"You can't do this to us!" Marcia said from inside a cell. "We're members of the press, Snattle."

The man across from her, outside the cell just laughed. He was dressed in an extravagantly gawdy outfit reminiscent of storm clouds, along with a cape, and a gigantic pink pearl hanging from his neck. "Foolish girl, I will be in control of the press in a short time. ONBS will be wiped from existence, and you will become a plaything for whomever the Grand Master decides to give you to. All that I need is for you to tell me exactly how much you know about my operation."

Marcia, having a feisty side, just spat in Snattle's face, slowly retreating to the back of her cell, near Cameran. "You can shove it. Cipher's days are numbered, you bastard."

Snattle just shrugged and wiped his glasses and face with a handkerchief. "Very well. You chose your fate, in that case. Sleep on it tonight, but you will know hell tomorrow." The man left the jail, striding like he had a stick jammed deep in his posterior.

Cameran stood up. "You okay?" he asked, only for Marcia to suddenly turn and hug him, starting to cry.

"I can't keep this up much longer. I'm terrified," she said as she held him closer.

Cameran just held his friend, knowing there was nothing that could be said to improve her mood. He felt the same, and wanted the same comfort, but he had to help Marcia feel better first. "Hey, remember what you said. Cipher's days are numbered. By now, Nett will know something is up, and help will be on the way."

Marcia sniffled a little. "What if that help isn't enough?" she asked.

"It's still a distraction we can use to escape. We have the films needed to break a huge story, and get the public to rally against Cipher," he said.

Marcia looked up at him, looking hopeful. "You think it will really work out?" she asked.

Cameran used the hem of his shirt to help dry her eyes. "I'm positive. Please, smile for me. You being happy gives me the strength to keep going," Cameran said. Marcia smiled and hugged him again.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" she said softly.

He smiled as well. "Just for you."

* * *

After an hour of driving, Michael and Liz got to Agate Village, with the time at 10pm. They made their way to the Pokémon Center, and had their Pokémon healed while they checked into a room, which had a video phone conveniently placed inside. About an hour later, the Pokémon were completely healed, and Michael could tell that they were ready to go to their last stop of the night. "Come on. We have some Pokémon to purify," he said tiredly, but with confidence as they climbed down the hill toward the Relic Stone's cave. They walked through, with moonlight gleaming into the cave from the openings, some light distorted by waterfalls, giving a shimmering look to the whole cave.

"You know…this is really a beautiful cave," Liz said as they got to the end. "It's too bad most of Orre won't get to see it."

"But, if they did, I doubt it would be like this for much longer," Michael said. He saw the Relic Stone ahead, the green energy very lightly radiating from the rocks.

Michael unhooked Shroomish's Pokéball first. "Come out, Shroomish!" As she appeared, she almost immediately sensed the power of the Relic Stone. She seemed to smile as much as she could manage with the Shadow energy blocking her emotions.

Michael walked with her slowly, noticing Liz getting out Vulpix's Pokéball before he and Shroomish touched the stone pillar together. The green energy surrounded the grass-type, swirling around her as it came in closer until it melded with her body, swirling inside her for a moment as it purged the shadow from her body. Michael's monitor immediately reacted, showing her level jump from 15 to 24 rapidly. As soon as she hit level 24, Shroomish began to glow brightly, growing fast into what looked like a dinosaur with a mushroom cap on her head, a long tail, and red claws on her feet and hands.

Michael gave the newly evolved Breloom a warm embrace as she smile brightly. "Congratulations, Breloom. We'll get your name soon." Breloom gave a joyful chittering, sounding genuinely happy.

Liz was next, Vulpix being ready for purification now. "Come on, sweet girl," Liz said to the fire type. "Time to give you your personality back." She and Vulpix touched the stone together, the energy pulsing out and swirling around the fire fox Pokémon, purging the shadow from her body. When the green energy swirled out of her, she blinked for a moment, her eyes slowly getting a brightness in them again. Once the light was back, she immediately ran to Liz and began yipping and bouncing beside her to get attention. Michael's heart was warmed immediately by the Pokémon's adorable behavior.

"Alright, one more to go," Michael said, taking out the Luxury Ball. "Alicia, please come out." With a flash, the little Ralts appeared, and she seemed to sense the energy flowing around them. "Are you ready to break free of the Shadows?"

 _I…am…_ Michael heard a struggling voice say. He nodded and walked with Alicia to the pillar. They touched the stone at the same time, causing energy to swirl out once again.

Inside her own mind, Alicia could feel the most comforting energy she'd ever felt, taking it in as she watched it go to her center and expand, swallowing up all the shadow and driving it from her body forcibly. The energy followed the shadow out of her, and she felt her control of her own body returning, along with all the memories of the battle she'd won with Michael. They culminated into gaining her a level, from 20 to 21. It wasn't much, but in that moment, it was enough to make her start glowing brilliantly with the light of evolution. Her legs extended, along with her arms. She felt her hair grow out like pigtails, and her dress turned into a ballerina's tutu. The crests on her head moved onto each side to finish as the light faded, and she felt her new power.

"Alicia?" Michael asked. "Are you back?"

 _I…think I am,_ she said, speaking clearly and effortlessly. _Actually…I feel great. I can also tell that your Breloom, Ceres, and the Vulpix, Kyuubi, are just as happy._

Michael sighed happily before looking at her. "Wait, you learned their names already?"  
 _Yeah, I did. My mother did the same thing for Mr. Maple when they were traveling_ , Alicia said happily.

"Well, can't say those names don't fit those Pokémon perfectly," Michael said happily.

"Wait, so it's really true? You're really the daughter of Gwen?" Liz asked, sounding like she was in awe.

 _Yeah, and I'm really good friends with Selena Maple too,_ the Kirlia said.

"That's so cool!" Liz said. "It's even cooler to hear you talk to us."

Alicia blushed cutely. _Thank you…by the way, could I maybe use a phone when I get the chance? I want to let Mom know what all has happened._

"We have one in our room at the Pokémon Center, if that works," Michael said, recalling Ceres. "But it would be almost midnight in Hoenn. Why don't you call tomorrow morning?"

 _Yeah, that'll work fine,_ Alicia said with a cute smile, feeling like skipping a little. _Mind leading the way?_

"Wait, don't you want to go back into your ball?" Michael asked with slight confusion.

 _Nope. Not to be mean, but I inherited my mother's free spirit. As nice as it is inside a Luxury Ball, I prefer to be out and about._

"Well, that works for me. But you'll need to go into the ball when we're driving between cities."

 _Fair enough,_ Alicia said, levitating up to Michael's shoulder. _Mind if I hitch a ride?_

Michael smiled, seeing Liz beaming at the pair. "That would be just fine," he said. He took Liz's hand and they happily left the sanctuary, heading for a warm bed.

* * *

 **Hey all, I can't believe how long this one took. Firstly, I apologize for my hectic life getting in the way of my writing. First, it was multiple jobs at once, then it was finals and graduation, then it was adjusting to a new living space while forgetting my laptop charger (limited access to writing). So, yeah, a lot got in the way.**

 **Secondly, I will not have such slow updates ever again. I promise.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review to let me know what you think, but keep it constructive.**

 **Until next time. ~ jmoul18**


	16. Chapter 16 - Realgam Tower

_Realgam Tower_

The next morning, Alicia was awake earlier than Michael and Liz, who were sleeping in separate beds, so she decided to take a shower for the first time in well over two months. She let the hot water wash over her, slowly closing her eyes happily. _Michael and Liz, you're so like Brendan and May together. I want to see you both grow as trainers,_ she thought pleasantly.

 _What are you so happy about, monster?_

Alicia's eyes went wide at the sudden, yet very unfamiliar voice. _Hello? Who's there?_ She looked around the shower, then peaked past the curtain, but she saw nobody in the room. She couldn't even sense another presence in the room. _M-must've been my imagination_. She finished washing up, though she was worried about the voice she heard. Once she had finished brushing her hair, she looked at herself in the mirror. _I look just like the pictures of Mom when she was a Kirlia._

 _You're really admiring yourself after what you've done?_ Alicia whipped around again, still seeing nobody in the room. _That man was probably killed after your special treatment._ That's when Alicia's vision twisted and she returned to her mental landscape. There, she saw what looked like a mirror image of her, but its eyes were filled with malice, and her body was surrounded by the aura of a Shadow Pokémon. _You think you're free? You couldn't be more wrong_.

Alicia's eyes went wide. _Who are you?_

 _I'm you. Don't act like you don't recognize me,_ the doppelganger said.

 _No, I'm the only me. Who are you really?_ Alicia asked.

The doppelganger smiled evilly, then suddenly appeared right in front of Alicia, the demented eyes and smiled dangerously. _I'm the one who will tear at your mind steadily until you completely lose it. Then I'll kill those two you call friends and return you to being a slave. How and when? I'll let that be a surprise for you_. _Try not to go to sleep._ With that, Alicia was returned to her body, dropping to her knees in a cold sweat.

 _No…_ she said in deep-seated fear. _Did a part of the Shadows stick to me? I can't let it hurt Michael or Liz._

She was pulled from her worries when a knock sounded at the door. "Alicia, are you okay?" Michael said.

Alicia perked up and gently slapped her face with both hands. _Wake up girl,_ she said to herself before addressing Michael. _I'm fine. Just had a knot in my hair._ She opened the door as she spoke, looking up at Michael happily.

"You sure you're okay?" Michael asked. "Sounded like you were taking a lot of deep breaths."

 _Yeah…I'm just nervous. This is the first time I'm calling home since I left on the Libra,_ Alicia said. _Mom's probably yell at me for not calling._ Her tone told Michael that she was joking about her mother, but he could tell she was hiding things from him.

"Okay, if you say so," he said, deciding to let her open up at her own pace.

"Hey Alicia, how're you today?" Liz asked kindly.

 _I'm feeling great. Ready to take on the day!_ Alicia said happily.

"Glad to hear it. Ready for the call?"

Alicia skipped over to the phone. _Yep, and I memorized the number._ She dialed the phone, hearing it ring.

* * *

In the Maple house, Brendan was just mixing batter for a batch of blueberry pancakes. They had been watching the whole live broadcast from ONBS, with Gwen cheering as she saw Michael battle with Alicia by his side. So, Brendan felt a celebratory breakfast was in order. _Seems like you're hard at work,_ the Gardevoir said.

"Well, we know Alicia is going to be okay now," Brendan said. "Why shouldn't we celebrate?"

 _I just hope whatever that Cipher group did to her can be reversed,_ Gwen said. Almost as if on cue, the phone began to ring.

"Huh? Who would be calling now?" May asked as she and Selena entered the room. May's small bump just barely noticeable to Brendan and Gwen.

"No clue," Brendan said, wiping his hands clean as he walked to the phone. "From…Agate Village?" He asked.

 _Wait, nobody in Orre should know our number. Only Alicia would know it,_ Gwen said. She ran forward, touching the video call button. Immediately, the face of a Kirlia was projected on the screen.

 _MOM!_ Alicia said happily, with some tears of joy in her eyes.

 _A-Alicia?_ Gwen asked in happy disbelief. _Are you okay? Please, tell me everything._

 _Where do I start?_ Alicia said with a laugh. _I guess I'll start with the voyage._ She started to talk about her trip, how much fun it was, and all the friends she'd made along the way. Michael perked up when he heard all the names of his team, including Artemis. She then started to talk vaguely about Cipher, and her whole experience as a Shadow Pokémon. Gwen could tell her daughter was hiding something, but she let her continue her story. _Next thing I knew, I was being purified in this beautiful forest, and I was actually able to meet my new trainer_.

"Oh, since we're on the subject, we'd like to meet Michael and Liz," Brendan said as he and May came in behind Gwen. He was also holding Selena so she could see her best friend.

 _Yeah, of course!_ Alicia said, motioning for the two to join her on the call. Brendan almost laughed at their nervous demeanor.

"Um…hi. I'm Michael Orison," Michael said.

"A-and I'm Elizabeth Hanz," Liz said. She'd been a huge fan of May's for as long as she could remember, especially seeing her idol perform right before having her first baby. "Oh, wow, this is overwhelming."

Brendan laughed a little. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both. Gwen has been speaking quite highly of you both since she found you," he said. "And, given how fast you've helped her recover, I can't even begin to thank you enough. If there is anything that we can do to help you, please call and let us know."

Liz was at a loss for words, with Michael almost in the same state. "Oh, um…thank you," Michael said.

"Mr. Michael, are you super strong like daddy?" Selena asked innocently.

Liz looked over at Michael, noticing May laughing into her palm. Michael looked a bit sheepish. "Actually, I'm not at his level yet. I just started training," he said.

"Oh," Selena said, almost sounding disappointed before she brightened up. "Could I see the other Pokémon you have?"

Brendan and May both laughed. "Selena, I'm sure they won't have the time to show us every Pokémon they have," May said happily. "But I'm sure we'll meet in person someday."

"So, you two are from Orre's HQ Lab, correct? We haven't exactly been able to get Orre news other than the broadcast shown worldwide during your rescue last night. Has the Purify Chamber been completed yet?"

"Yeah, it was just completed a few days ago," Michael said. "They even made a second snag machine for Liz to help with the fight."

"Impressive. Now, can I get the number for the lab," Brendan asked. "I'd like to speak with the directors there about something."

"Oh, I guess that'd be okay," Michael said before reciting the phone number easily. Brendan wrote it down and smiled. He was glad that he could start helping the Orre Region improve.

"Well, I'm glad we got to meet you two, but I get the feeling that you three have work to do. Alicia, promise you'll call us often," May said.

 _Of course!_ Alicia said happily. _Love you guys!_

 _Michael, Liz,_ Gwen said, getting their attention. _Keep her safe. Please._

"I promise we will," Michael said.

"Me too. We won't let her get hurt," Liz said.

 _Thank you,_ Gwen said with a smile as she ended the call.

Brendan looked at Gwen with a smile. "She's back to normal," he said.

Gwen started to cry tears of joy again, feeling all of the stress and fear she'd had these past two months fade away. _It's such a relief,_ she said, hugging Brendan. _And I know they will do amazing things together…like you two did_.

Brendan and May both smiled with her, though Selena looked both happy and confused at the situation. "Mommy, Daddy, what happened to Alicia?"

Brendan smiled, deciding to explain it simply and without scaring the little girl. "She found her trainer, and she's working to save her home."

Selena gasped. "She's a superhero?"

The adults all laughed. "Yes, sweetheart. She's a superhero."

"Well, I think it's time to make some pancakes and bacon, what about you?" May said, putting her hand on her stomach slightly. "Call it a craving."

* * *

"Holy shit, that was so nerve-wracking," Liz said, sitting on the bed.

"But…we actually talked to the Maple family…" Michael said, sounding awestruck. "That was so cool!"

 _Really? That was just a normal call for me,_ Alicia said with a teasing tone.

Michael laughed slightly. "Well, they are your family," he said. "I'd hope you can talk more easily with them."

Alicia smiled. _So, we're heading to Phenac City today?_

"Yeah. We need to make sure the people there are safe," Michael said. "Especially since Cipher seems to have plans there."

"We should get something we can eat quickly," Liz said. "Then get on the road. I doubt we'll have much time to alert the people of Phenac about Cipher."

"We should go to the mayor so he can help us with that," Liz said as they walked to the cafeteria, getting some egg sandwiches. They ate as they walked out of the Pokémon Center. Alicia was surprisingly the first to finish hers.

 _Should I get into the ball?_ Alicia asked politely as they got to Michael's scooter.

"Probably…unless you want to wear Jovi's helmet," Michael said.

Alicia tilted her head with intrigue. _Jovi?_

"She's my little sister," Michael said. "Actually, the size of the helmet might actually work for you. Want to ride?"

 _YES!_ Alicia's tone was one of pure excitement.

Michael smiled and helped the Kirlia get her helmet on properly. "I think you and Jovi might get along if you met."

 _I'd like to meet her soon,_ Alicia said kindly as they all got on the scooter and started to drive off. _If she's like you, then I'm sure she's wonderful._

* * *

After almost two hours of driving, the group made it through the beautiful oasis city of Phenac. Along the way, they had seen the massive tower known for being the place where Wes beat Evice in an incredibly brutal battle. The fight had been broadcasted over a hijacked transmission on the original ONBS, and it drew almost the entire population of Orre to view it. Since the former Cipher stronghold fell, though, a rather wealthy business owner repurposed it to be a sort of casino and coliseum. While the stadium was being repaired, it was still a very popular place, where patrons could play Battle Bingo, train in simulation battle, or just relax at a nearby bar. Michael would've personally loved to go, but he knew it was far beyond his price range.

As they were pulling up to Phenac's main entrance, they saw the beautiful waterways, a fountain where a young man could be seen running with a Duskull, and a gorgeously tiered town that created waterfalls which contrasted beautifully with the sandstone. As they were parking, however, a young woman began approaching them. "Excuse me!" she shouted with an oddly cheerful voice that sounded almost like she was about to try and sell something. "A moment of your time!"

Michael stopped with Liz, though Alicia seemed a bit on-edge. "Can we help you?"

"No, I'm just here to inform you that, believe it or not, you're the millionth visitor to Phenac City this year. We'd like to award you with a Battle CD case, and some discs. Additionally, we have free passes to the Realgam Tower. Please, take these and have a great time!" The odd woman smiled and began shoving the case and passes at Michael and Liz.

"Wait, we have important business here. We need to speak to the mayor," Liz said.

"No, no. You need to go to the Realgam Tower. Trust me, nothing interesting is happening in this town anyway."

As if they were being compelled by some outside force, the trio got onto the scooter again, revving the engine and driving off toward the tower thirty minutes away.

The woman watched them drive off before pulling out a phone and calling Snattle.

"What is it?" the pompous man asked in a short, curt tone.

"Commander Snattle, Orison and Hanz just showed up at the entrance. I had to rely on the psychic Pokémon you stationed out here to get them to leave for the tower, but it's only a matter of time before they realize something's off. What are your orders?" she asked.

Snattle scoffed. "We'll prepare for their arrival. Let them in when they come back, and we will show them the true terror of Cipher. If it comes to it, I will make them burn."

"Understood sir," she said, hanging up.

* * *

"It's incredible!" Liz said with glittering eyes as they arrived at Realgam Tower. "I can't believe how beautiful it is."

"I know what you mean," Michael said. "It's a marvel of engineering."

 _Guys…why did we just come here? We need to go help Phenac._

"What do you mean? The lady at the entrance said it was all okay," Michael said as they entered the fancy door to look around. Soon, Michael had found an incredible shop, loaded with nearly every Technical Move in existence, including attacks like Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and even Thunder Bolt. Those incredible moves, though, were out of Michael's price range, due to them being the repeated use models. He and Liz still managed to afford Shadow Sneak, Power-Up Punch, and even Toxic.

"I hope we can use these effectively," Michael said with a smile as they started toward the coliseum and casino arena, seeing twin Sudowoodo fountains made of silver.

 _GUYS!_ Alicia called out. _Are you seriously forgetting that Cipher is going after Phenac City?_

Liz and Michael were both about to shake it off, until they overheard somebody else talking in the food court.

"Man, can you believe that we were the millionth visitors to Phenac City?" a young man nearby said. "I can't believe how lucky we are!"

"Wait…" Liz said as she approached the table. "You were told you were the millionth visitor too?"

"What do you mean?" the guy asked. "There could only be one person who gets the millionth spot."

"Did they give you a case with Battle CDs too?" Michael asked.

"Um…yeah, why?" the guy's friend said.

"Because they gave us one too," Michael said.

 _I told you something was up!_ Alicia said to the two trainers. Michael and Liz felt like a haze was fading from their minds as she spoke.

"Wait, why did we even let that woman push us out of Phenac anyway?" Liz asked, holding her head like she had a headache.

"Hey, mind leaving us alone?" the guy they were standing with asked, looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, we needed to leave now anyway," Michael said as he led Liz and Alicia to the small tram platforms that drove between the small bubbles that made up the different sections of the compound. As soon as the platform arrived at the main entrance, Michael and Liz both sprinted to the scooter. Alicia was already there, having teleported and grabbed their helmets. Within a moment, Michael had kick-started his scooter and he was driving them to Phenac City. "Let's just blast past that woman this time."

"Run her over if she tries to stop us," Liz said, angry that they'd fallen for something so simple.

 _Just don't be like Cipher,_ Alicia said softly as they roared down the road.

It took them another half an hour to get back to the oasis city. This time, the lady at the entrance seemed to ignore them.

 _Something feels really off about this whole situation,_ Alicia said.

"We need to find the mayor first," Michael said as they drove around the city. They wound up going to every house but the mayor's, including one where a nice gentleman gave them a CD with Rumba of Love on it. Liz, being a fan of the band, happily took it. The whole time they were driving, though, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously off with the whole city. There were some normal people, but far more seemed to be…out of place.

After a while, Michael just decided to stop and ask for directions. They saw an elderly woman beside a stream of water, seemingly just smiling about life. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

The woman looked at them. "Hello dearies, how are you two today?"

"We're great, thanks for asking," Liz said. "We're looking for the mayor's house. Do you know where that is?"

The woman giggled. "You mustn't be from around here if you need to ask," she said with a cheerful laugh. "Especially since it's right across the street there." She pointed to a building which seemed just a bit more extravagant than the others. "Though I haven't seen him too much recently. I think he's been really busy lately."

"That could be bad," Michael said to Liz.

"Yeah, I know," Liz said with unease in her voice.

"What was that? I think my hearing aide is getting low on battery," the old lady said.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," Michael said, not wanting to worry a senior citizen. "Thank you for your help." The woman smiled and waved to them as she left.

 _I'll get us there,_ Alicia said, putting her hand on Michael and Liz. In a blink, they were across the street. _Now, let's move._

"Hold on, Alicia, we need to be careful," Michael said. "Let's go in calmly and see if the mayor is there before charging through the door."

 _That's what I meant,_ Alicia said with a blush as Michael led the way. She also noticed that Liz had a look of uncertainty, but it seemed to be a bit different than the uneasiness Michael was showing for their situation.

When they got inside the home, they immediately saw a woman in business attire, with short brown hair. "Oh, hello. You must want to meet the mayor. Sorry to say, but he's a bit busy at the moment," the woman said.

"Oh? And who might you be?" Liz asked.

"Just a house-sitter. I'm just waiting till the mayor returns, and keeping people out of the second floor," the woman said. "Though, I'm quite bored…" She then noticed the CD Liz had in her purse. "Is that the Rumba of Love CD?"  
"Oh, yeah. Some guy gave it to me in the city," Liz said.

"Could I please use it for a bit?" the house-sitter asked.

"Sure…I guess. Just give it back later," Liz said, giving the disc to the odd woman. CD in-hand, the woman made her way to the music system, putting the CD into the slot. Once it began playing, she closed her eyes, getting distracted by the lyrics.

Michael, seeing an opportunity, went up the stairs with Alicia, finding the mayor's bedroom. Inside, Michael immediately noticed signs of a struggle. "Damn, did they not try to cover their tracks?"

Alicia got an intrigued look as she walked through the room. She went over to a nightstand, seeing a piece of paper underneath. She pulled it out from under the furniture, reading the text. _Michael, come look at this._

Michael was at her side immediately, seeing the page, reading it. "It's a letter to the Pre-Gym's leader, Justy," Michael said, remembering the name of the only person remotely close to being a Gym Leader in Orre. "It says, _I am getting worried. Citizens are disappearing for a day or two, then reappearing. It's suspicious. To be honest, with the rumors of Cipher returning, I'm worried that Phenac might be in d-."_ From the last letter, a trail of ink seemed to trail down the page, as if the one writing it was falling over.

 _It just stops there,_ Alicia added.

"Yeah…but I think it was going to say more," Michael said.

 _Hey…is it suddenly quiet now?_ Alicia noticed. Michael paused and noticed there was no longer any music playing.

"Yeah…the music stopped," Michael said. That was when they heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Oh, you naughty boy. You weren't supposed to see that," the housekeeper said in a worryingly sweet voice that had a lot of malice in it. "Now, I need to eliminate you." As she said that, her body flickered like a hologram for a moment before fading, revealing the pure-white armor worn by Cipher Peons.

 _No…they're impersonating citizens…_ Alicia said with a gasp.

With a smirk, the woman pulled out her two Pokéballs and got ready to battle.

* * *

 **Shorter chapter, I know. However, I think there are enough things happening here to make a chapter break.**

 **Hope you enjoyed that. Please let me know what you thought in a review. I really appreciate feedback.**

 **Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	17. Chapter 17 - The City of Doppelgangers 1

_The City of Doppelgängers – Part 1_

"Where's Liz?" Michael asked the Cipher Peon in front of him.

"You mean that girl downstairs? She's taking a little nap now. She's got a nice lump on her head to help her sleep," the woman said as she sent out a Seviper and a Snorunt. Immediately after the Snorunt appeared, Michael's Shadow Monitor began to respond.

"Oh? So, you attacked my girlfriend, and now you're about to try and attack me?" Michael asked, clenching his fist as he took out Nick's Pokéball. "Alicia, Nick, let's teach her a lesson about messing with us."

 _You got it, Michael!_ Alicia said, while Michael opened Nick's Pokéball, sending out the electric type Eeveelution.

"Nick, use Shock Wave on Snorunt," Michael said. "Alicia, use Confusion on Seviper!"

"Seviper, use Poison Tail on that Kirlia. Snorunt, use Shadow Wave!" the Peon called out. In an instant, the Seviper's tail was glowing with a purple toxin as bright as pools of poison in old video games. The snake then lunged forward with his tail ready to lash out for Alicia's neck.

At the same time, Snorunt gathered Shadow energy, firing it. The orb then split into two, flying at Alicia and Nick rapidly. The two Cipher Pokémon were outpaced by Michael's team. Nick made an electric pulse that flew at the ice-type, hitting just after the Shadow Wave was fired, making the Snorunt fall back. Just as Seviper began to lunge, Alicia gathered telekinetic energy and tried to grab the poison-type. She managed to throw the snake across the room, while trying to limit the damage to the mayor's house. The attack was powerful enough to hurt the Seviper, but not to knock it out.

At the same time, Nick had already gathered all the electricity he needed, shooting a wave of lightning at Snorunt. The ice-type took the hit, his health going down to almost half.

"Alicia, use another Confusion on Seviper. Nick, Thunder Wave on Snorunt," Michael said as he programmed a snag.

"Seviper, use Poison Fang. Kill that traitorous Kirlia," the Peon said. "Snorunt use Shadow Wave! Take out both of them!"

Seviper lunged again, his fangs coated in toxins as he raced towards Alicia. Simultaneously, Snorunt began to gather his Shadow aura, launching two shots, each orb flying for Nick and Alicia.

Alicia just barely dodged Seviper as he tried to bite her, his jaws snapping shut, missing his mark before she grabbed and threw the snake with her telekinesis once more, knocking him out this time. Snorunt's Shadow Wave managed to hit his marks, making both Nick and Alicia fall over briefly. While the Jolteon managed to get to his feet, Alicia seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating, her eyes wide. Nick fired off an orb of static electricity, hitting the shadow Pokémon directly, paralyzing it.

Michael was concerned about Alicia's expression, feeling a sense of fear from her. However, he had to focus on snagging this Snorunt, then winning the battle before he could help her. He held out his arm as the ball materialized in his hand. "Alicia, come on and get some rest," he said before he threw the Pokéball, the energy arm pulling Snorunt inside. The ball didn't shake for too long before sealing shut.

* * *

Alicia hardly registered that Michael had spoken, let alone his request that she return to her ball. She was becoming so distraught that she couldn't tell that she was being recalled once Michael took out her ball, beaming her back inside. She was back in her mindscape, seeing her demented double. _Couldn't even dodge a stupid attack? You're pathetic. Without me, you are nothing,_ her dark clone said. _And you know that I can just tear your mind out and put myself back in whenever I want._

Alicia was cowering in fear. _It's not true. I can fight. And I am in charge of my body._

 _Only because I let you be the pilot. You just can't compete with what you were before. I mean, Michael even pulled you from the fight just now because you're so pathetic._

Alicia was sobbing in a fetal position as she felt like she was drowning in mental agony. _Maybe it was to protect me,_ she said desperately.

 _You? The monster who nearly killed innocent people? Who helped a criminal syndicate? Who the hell would want to protect you? He just contained you so he could ignore you._ The double seemed to cackle at the thought.

Outside the Luxury Ball, Michael had just finished the battle with the Cipher Peon, healing Nick and Boreas, who had taken Alicia's place in the battle. He recalled the other two Pokémon, then sent out Alicia again. He was immediately worried to see that she was in a fetal position, crying.

 _I'm not a monster…I'm not a monster!_ Alicia said with anguish in her voice.

Michael immediately picked her up and hugged the Kirlia. "No, you're not a monster," he said soothingly.

 _I almost killed a man,_ Alicia said.

"You weren't in control then. That wasn't your fault," Michael said.

 _I couldn't keep myself from becoming a Shadow Pokémon,_ she cried.

Michael held her closer. "Alicia…please listen to me," he said, trying to sooth her. She looked up at him, and he saw her look of pain. "Who was it who broke through the Shadows?"

 _M-me…_ Alicia said through tears.

"And who is constantly working to better themselves?"

 _I am,_ she said.

"Then, will you trust me when I say that what happened to you was not your fault?" Michael asked.

 _Y-yeah,_ she said.

"Now, I know that there's something bothering you. Can you please tell me what it is so I can help you?"

 _C-Can it wait until we stop Cipher here?_ Alicia asked.

"Are you sure?" Michael asked. "We can take time to talk now."

 _Yes, because there's not enough time now to talk it about to the extent that the issue would need,_ Alicia said with a sad expression. _Besides, Liz might need help. I think that lady said she knocked her out._

Michael's eyes went wide as he remembered that Liz was likely hurt. That's when he heard the sounds of battle on the floor below.

* * *

Liz woke up with a splitting headache, hearing some sounds of battle on the floor above. She staggered to her feet, but immediately fell back again, her head spinning with what she could only assume to be a mild concussion.

"Well, looks like sleeping beauty is already up," a man said from almost right beside her. Liz's eyes went wide as she slowly turned to face a man with a disturbing smirk on his face. The man immediately gave a sexual look. She immediately leapt up, stumbling away from the man, holding her head as pain shot through it.

"Who, the fuck, are you?" Liz asked.

"Just the guy who felt that beautiful rack while you were passed out," he said.

Liz looked disgusted, covering herself, realizing her bra had been loosened, and she felt like she had bruises forming on the sides of her breasts. She screamed, hearing a loud crash from the floor above. "Duskull, Vixen, come out!" she said. The Duskull and Vulpix duo came out, the Vulpix looking angry. Duskull, still being a Shadow Pokémon, seemed emotionless. "I don't care what you do, just rip that guy's head off."

She put on her Battle Monitor when she saw the guy stand, smirking as his face distorted like a glitching video game. "Come out, Pineco and Murkrow," the creepy man said. "Let's beat her and take her shit."

"You scumbag," she said. "Who the hell even are you?"

"Oh, didn't I introduce myself?" he asked. His face disappeared, revealing it was a hologram the entire time. Underneath, he was wearing the distinct Cipher uniform. "I'm your worst nightmare."

"Cipher…of course," Liz said, noticing that the Pineco had triggered the Shadow Monitor. "And another Shadow." Her mind was foggy, her head pounding like she'd been hit with a bat. She could barely think straight, which wouldn't help with her two newest teammates being on the field.

"I doubt you'll be able to beat us," the Peon said with a smirk. "You can barely stand, let alone battle."

Deciding she didn't want to deal with any of this, Liz programmed a snag, throwing the ball at the Pineco without making an attack command. She just wanted to be done with the whole day now. She knew that it likely wouldn't happen, since Cipher had likely taken the identities of most of Phenac's citizens. It would be a long day for them. Luckily, Pineco's snag was actually successful. Despite her succeeding, Liz didn't react, feeling like the room was spinning. The Peon just shrugged, going for his next Pokémon. What came out was a massive red spider Pokémon, Ariados.

Vixen noticed her trainer looking sick, yipping to Duskull, trying to say that they needed to start battling independently. That was when Michael's opponent ran through the room, cursing. Liz had already sat down in a nearby chair, her vision going black again.

Vixen launched a Heat Wave, scorching the room around them as Murkrow and Ariados moved to get away. Murkrow's right wing was singed, making him stagger on his flight. Duskull looked indifferent as he just fired a Shadow Wave, hitting both Ariados and Murkrow with seeming ease.

Liz didn't notice any of the battle. She actually began to pass out, missing the rest of the battle. She only woke up when there was gentle shaking to wake her up. "Liz, hey, are you okay?" Michael asked.

She blinked, her head still aching. "Hey," she said groggily. "Has that vest always been green?" The Cipher peon was gone, but his Pokéballs were sitting on the floor.

Michael began to look at Liz with concern. "Liz…you seem a bit off," he said.

 _She has a concussion,_ Alicia said with a look of equal concern. _It seems pretty bad. I can sense a big bruise in her brain, and I don't know how to heal it._

Liz then felt nausea building up. "Trash can," she said with a sick tone in her voice. Michael went to grab one, finding that it was just a wire basket. Alicia was faster, teleporting Liz to the bathroom, opening the toilet lid for the girl just in time. Michael winced as he heard Liz vomiting painfully.

 _We need to get her to a hospital as soon as possible,_ Michael said to Alicia.

 _I know…but where is the hospital?_ Alicia asked.

 _We'll figure it out by asking for directions. It worked with finding this place,_ Michael said.

 _Or, it'll help us just find more Cipher Peons,_ Alicia said.

 _That'll help us resolve the problem in the city anyway,_ Michael said back. Liz gasped as she flushed the toilet, still feeling sick, but wanting to move.

"I'll be fine," Liz said. "Just let me keep going. I need to help beat Cipher too." She staggered a little on her way. Michael caught her and began to work as her crutch.

"Liz, you need to see a doctor. Please, just let me help you," he said.

Liz puffed her cheek out, pouting. "Fine. I'll go to a hospital. But, take some of my Pokéballs. You might need to snag a few Shadow Pokémon."

"Okay, I can do that," Michael said, kissing Liz on the side of her head.

* * *

Immediately after they got out of the Mayor's house, they had a clear view of the Pre-Gym. As they walked closer, they saw six exact copies of Justy, the leader of the Pre-Gym, walk out in single-file, lining up.

"Brothers, sound off!" the first said. "One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Four."

"Five."

"Six."

"Great job, brothers. Now nobody can tell us apart now. Let's go and spread confusion across the town," the first one said.

"Hey, the Hexagon Brothers…" Liz said.

Michael looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You mean the multi-colored brothers in Cipher?"

"Yeah, the ones you snagged so many Shadow Pokémon from in that desert lab," Liz said trying to look away from the sun, feeling a huge migraine whenever she looked at light.

"Should I go battle them?" Michael asked.

"They're pretending to be Justy. We might need to deal with them," Liz said. "I can help if you want."

Michael sighed. "Liz, you're injured. I'd rather get you to a hospital first, then I'll take on Cipher."

"No, I was useless last time against Exol. I'm staying with you and helping with the battles now!" Liz said, tears forming in her eyes out of nowhere.

 _Liz, mind being moral support this time?_ Alicia asked.

"Oh…I can do that…" she said, suddenly sounding groggy. "I just want to be there."

Michael sighed. "Fine, but once we're done with the Cipher members hiding as citizens, you're going to the hospital."

"Okay," she said with exhaustion.

Before the Justy imposters could disperse, Michael approached them. "Okay, Hexagon Brothers. Just stop right now. I'm going to battle all of you right now."

"Sorry, but you're mistaken, we're all Justy," the one farthest to the right.

"Oh, good, because I have a note for Justy. Maybe you all can help me find the real one. Plus, we already know Cipher is here," Michael said.

 _Umm…Michael…_ Alicia said, her tone saying she wanted him to stop. He looked around, seeing there were six more people surrounding them, including the woman from the entrance.

"You know," the first Justy said. "We have radios in our helmets. We knew you were here. We knew you couldn't resist it when six exact replicas of Justy came out, did the same count off as we did at the lab. Hell, Snattle knew you'd come after us." All the Cipher Peons seemed to smirk with confidence. "So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to surrender and become our prisoners. You will do so without making a scene, and you will surrender all the Pokémon you've purified."

Before Michael or Liz could do anything, all of their Pokéballs opened simultaneously. Nick, Boreas, Erebus, Ceres, and Sarah appeared on the right, just as Alicia floated to the ground in front of Michael, glaring at the Hexagon Brothers. On the side where the other Cipher members were lining up, Titania, Artemis, Voltaire the Flaaffy, and Vixen. Duskull and Makuhita stayed in their balls, as neither could care less what happened to their trainer.

Michael looked at the others around him, and they'd all sent out all of their Pokémon. In total, there were twenty-one enemy Pokémon, meaning there were more than twice as many enemy Pokémon, and they all looked ready to battle.

"We're outnumbered…" Michael said, turning on his battle monitor. All of his and Liz's Pokémon were over level 24, while all of the enemies were around level 21. "And almost evenly matched…"

 _We can win. Tell me, have you ever watched Brendan's battles?_ Alicia asked.

 _I have, why?_ Michael replied.

 _You know how he and the higher-level trainers never seem to give commands?_ Alicia asked again.

 _Yeah,_ Michael said, starting to see where this was going.

 _I can help you with coordinating those orders,_ Alicia said.

 _Maybe another time, when we're not outnumbered,_ Michael said, looking determined, glad that none of the Pokémon he'd be facing were Shadow Pokémon. "Alright, I'm in a rush to get my girlfriend to the hospital."

"We don't care. You're going to die soon anyway, so who gives a fuck whether you get treatment."

"In that case, let's just get this over with," Michael said.

Liz watched groggily as the Pokémon began to battle. She watched as Ceres, the Breloom, used Mach Punch repeatedly, moving between the Normal and Dark types at super sonic speeds. At the same time, Nick launched Shock Waves as fast as he could, hitting a Staryu, Goldeen, a Horsea, and a Noctowl with his attacks. Titania sent a wide-ranged Fairy Wind attack, aiming for as many Pokémon as possible, sending the wind around the perimeter of Cipher Peons and their Pokémon. She watched as Artemis joined Ceres, using Metal Claw as she ran with Ceres. Erebus and Boreas fired of Ember and Water Gun respectively, while Alicia was using Disarming Voice and Confusion in-tandem. Vixen was using Heat Wave, and Voltaire was sending multiple Shock Waves along with Nick. It seemed that the sheer size of the Cipher team was inconsequential as it was being overwhelmed by Michael's strategy

At least she thought that's what was happening. She was passing out and hallucinating again, though it was very vivid. In reality, Michael was struggling. The Cipher Pokémon had all attacked almost immediately. Wailmer, however, seemed to be sitting back and waiting. The attacks Liz was dreaming were accurate for what her and Michael's Pokémon were doing. They were struggling to stay up, with the enemies repeatedly breaking through. Three times, a Vigoroth slashed Artemis and Titania hard. Some of the enemy Pokémon had gone down quickly, dropping the enemy count to fifteen. The more powerful enemies seemed to be fighting smarter.

Alicia was working hard to coordinate her teammates. _Just like when Mom battled those Sharpedo when she was traveling,_ she thought as her enemies attacked. It seemed to be overwhelming, but she could see that the Cipher Peons were just grinning smugly. _There's no coordination here. That makes it easier._

"Alicia, use a Disarming Voice. Take out the Absol in the back!" Michael said, seeing the Disaster Pokémon in the back, gathering energy for a Razor Wind. Alicia saw it too, screaming as Michael had ordered, the sonic wave slamming into the side of the Absol, knocking her to the ground. Erebus fired an Ember to finish the job, smiling a bit to Alicia competitively.

 _Great job there, Erebus. Keep going, the small fry are almost done,_ she said. _We're down to ten._

Alicia spoke smoothly despite breathing heavily. Michael could tell they needed to rest, but they still needed to finish this battle. There was also the Wailmer in the back, still waiting.

As Michael was contemplating for a moment, Boreas was hit with three Thunder Shocks, knocking him out quickly. "Damn it," Michael cursed as he recalled his Pokémon. "We're starting to lose ground."

"We won," Liz said happily, with slightly slurred speech. Michael was getting increasingly concerned for her as well.

"Everybody, we only have ten left. Use your strongest attack, and aim for who it will affect most," Michael said. He knew it was vague, but given their situation, he couldn't do much better. Jolteon electrocuted a Noctowl with Shock Wave, Erebus burned a Shroomish with Ember, while Titania used Fairy Wind to blow away a Mightyena. The other Pokémon fought similarly, battling efficiently until all that was left was the Wailmer. Before Michael could make a command, it started using Rollout, hitting Erebus first. Normally, that hit wouldn't have injured the Houndoom too badly. But, with the injuries he'd sustained, he was knocked out. Michael recalled the dark type. "Shock Wave and Fairy Wind!" he called to both Nick and Titania. He knew it would likely do some damage, but he wasn't sure how much it would do. That was when he noticed Alicia was chanting slightly.

 _That should do it!_ Alicia said as both Nick and Titania shot their attacks together. Nick shot his ball of electricity at Wailmer as the giant water-type, the shot homing in on the whale. At the same time, Titania's Fairy Wind combined with Nick's Shock Wave, making a tandem attack. The tornado of fairy dust began to spark with electricity before it surrounded the Wailmer entirely, moving with the rolling water-type. It groaned for a moment, while Michael watched its health drop to zero.

With looks of both fear and disbelief, the Cipher Peons all scattered quickly, seeming to run for the exits of the city. "Are they going to risk it in the desert?" Michael asked as he began recalling their own Pokémon.

 _I don't know…but we need to keep going. Liz isn't doing too well,_ Alicia said with concern.

Michael looked and saw Liz was barely standing, his grip on her forearm being the only thing holding her up. He quickly picked up the brunette bridal style. "We need to find the hospital soon," he said. Alicia pulled out Michael's P-DA, searching the internet for him, finding the hospital's address and getting a map up.

 _Alright, this is where we're going,_ Alicia said, her voice conveying urgency.

Michael followed the GPS voice through the city. Thankfully, it didn't take them too long.

The nurse at the front desk looked up and immediately called for a gurney. "What happened?" she asks.

"She was hit in the head. I'm pretty sure she has a concussion, because she's been having mood swings, and she's been passing out repeatedly.

"Alright. We'll take care of her," the nurse said as the gurney arrived, and they got Liz onto the bed. They rolled the bed into the elevator, taking it to the third floor and into a room that looked like a suite. Michael knew then that they'd be keeping her in the room for more than one day.

A doctor came into the room and the nurses asked Michael and Alicia to leave the room so they could work. So, he took a seat in the nearest bench, feeling exhausted already.

"There have to be more Cipher members hiding in this city. We need to keep searching," Michael said to Alicia.

 _But Liz needs us to be here when she wakes up,_ Alicia said softly.

"Then…I guess we can wait. I might need some coffee," he said.

 _Just give it some time. I'm sure she'll be okay,_ Alicia said, sounding like she was really trying to convince herself more than she was convincing him.

* * *

 **And there's the chapter's end. Next time, Michael battles his way into Phenac Stadium.**

 **Please let me know what you think of this chapter, because the reviews really help me improve my writing.**

 **Anyway, until next time ~ jmoul18**


	18. Chapter 18 - The City of Doppelgangers 2

_The City of Doppelgängers – Part 2_

Michael was waiting for ten minutes, getting his team healed before one of the nurses came out of the room where Liz was being tested. She saw Michael and immediately went over to him. He looked over at her attentively.

"Mr. Orison, she's just about finished with her preliminary tests. She's still asleep, but it's clear she has a bad concussion. Any worse, and she might've had severe brain damage," the woman said, looking concerned.

Michael nodded. "I figured as much," he sat silently. "So, when will she be waking up?"

"We're not sure. She might even sleep until tomorrow," the nurse said.

"Then, Alicia…we're going to stop Cipher. I think the best place to start will be inside the Pre-Gym."

 _Agreed. The Hexagon Brothers came out of there impersonating Justy, so we should go to check if everything is okay there._

The nurse looked confused, eyeing the Snag Machine on Michael's arm. "So, you're really Michael Orison? The guy who's fighting Cipher on his own?"

"Well, not on my own. I have my team, Liz, and her team helping me," he said, trying to be humble as he left. As they exited the hospital, Michael and Alicia looked determined. "Cipher will pay for what they did." They walked to the Pre-Gym, finding the doors unlocked. Naturally, they both went inside. Immediately, something felt wrong about the whole place.

To start, Michael could hear the gym's teacher talking about how Pokémon were nothing but tools to be used in battle, then disposed of as soon as they were no longer useful. Then there were the gym's trainers, who seemed more intimidating than welcoming. Usually, the trainers would have a competitive air to them, but it would never seem malicious.

Then there was Justy himself. Michael couldn't exactly figure out what was actually wrong with the Justy in the arena, but the man seemed off. Perhaps it was the fact that Justy, a man known to be compassionate and caring towards Pokémon and other trainers, was allowing all of the issues to continue. Based on all rumors about the man, he would never let somebody keep saying that Pokémon were expendable.

Nonetheless, Michael was in a hurry. He walked up the stairs to the arena, going towards Justy. "Justy, I need some help. The city is being targeted by Cipher."

The leader of the Pre-Gym seemed to look over at Michael with indifference. "You think so? I don't see any reason to be worried," he said with a smile.

"I've been battling them around the city. I know they're here," Michael said, stopping as he saw the smirk spreading across Justy's face. "You're a fake too."

"No, I'm not a fake. I'm the real deal," he said as his façade faded, along with the images covering the teacher and one of the trainers along the side of the arena. All of them were now in the uniforms of Cipher Peons. "Now, surrender, or we'll take our time beating you down for daring to come into this gym.

 _Michael…why did you feel the need to announce that we had dirt on Cipher? We knew they were impersonating Justy already,_ Alicia said, sounding both disappointed and angry with her trainer. _I get that you're angry about what happened to Liz, but you need to be cautious, or they'll actually catch us…and kill us._

Michael winced, knowing she was right. _I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking. But, with luck, maybe these three won't be too difficult. They might not even have Shadow Pokémon._

 _Now that you said that…I'm pretty sure they'll all have them. That's like Movie Clichés 101._

Michael stifled his laugh at the comparison. _Yeah, you're right about that. I hope you're wrong, but that just makes it so we can snag more shadow Pokémon._

The Peon who had disguised herself as the normal trainer approached him first. "I'm battling you first. Let's go!"

Alicia jumped from Michael's shoulder, while he sent out Nick. The Jolteon smirked and looked over at Alicia with confidence. It seemed like he was telling her he trusted her in this battle.

The woman just smirked and threw out two Pokéballs. The Pokémon that came out were a Kirlia and a Linoone, both level 23. Alicia and Nick were both at 25. This would be close.

"Nick, Shock Wave on that Kirlia. Alicia, use Confusion on Linoone," Michael said. The two Pokémon immediately began to gather their energy, with electricity crackling around Nick, and Alicia's body glowing with psychic energy.

"You two, kill them. Get creative," the Cipher Peon grinned as she spoke, wanting to see her enemies suffer.

Unfortunately, it seemed that was too vague for her Pokémon. Linoone sprinted at Jolteon, moving with shocking speed, but Nick managed to side-step, sending a blast of electricity at the Kirlia across from him. Alicia then took that chance to launch her Confusion. The shot of psychic energy hit the long raccoon Pokémon and knocking him from his feet. Alicia then fired her own Shock Wave to finish the job, zapping Linoone enough to make his fur stand up like a Zigzagoon's, knocking him out.

"Seems that your mistreatment of your Pokémon isn't paying off," Michael said, seeing that the enemy Kirlia was looking unstable on his feet. He just went and tried to use Magical Leaf. Alicia countered almost identically, hitting the leaves with her own Magical Leaf. That coordination gave Nick the opening he needed to use Quick Attack, knocking out his opponent.

"Nice work, you two! That was a great–" Michael stopped as he watched the Peon pull out another ball.

"Slave, come out," the Cipher Peon said as she sent out a little green bird, which triggered the Shadow Monitor.

"Shit, another Shadow Pokémon," Michael said. "Alright, let's make this quick."

"Shadow Wave!" the Peon called to the Shadow Natu.

"Nick, Thunder Wave. Alicia, use Confusion. We just need to weaken this one a little," Michael said. "We need to focus on snagging."

 _Got it, Snag Mode, engaged,_ Alicia said, almost sounding like it was a joke.

Natu began gathering energy, shooting two shadow orbs at both Alicia and Nick. Nick fired a blast of static electricity, hitting Natu and paralyzing it. Alicia then began to gather her psychic energy, managing to dodge the incoming Shadow Wave. Nick was not quite as lucky, taking a grazing hit. Michael winced as he saw Jolteon take the damage, but the electric type got up and shook himself off as he got to his feet.

Alicia grabbed Natu with her energy, gripping the little bird as Nick used Quick Attack, dealing a little more damage as Michael finished setting up a snag. He stuck out his arm and threw the ball, the energy hand grabbing the psychic type. It took three shakes to click shut. "Where's the Staples easy button?" Michael quipped.

Almost immediately, the second peon, who had posed as the teacher, literally kicked her out of the ring and ripping off her Pokéball belt. "My turn. Get out here slaves!" The two Pokémon that came out were a Remoraid and a Golbat. Before it even got a chance to move, Remoraid was on the ground flopping to get a breath. Michael knew he needed to do something to make sure the little fish survived.

"Open the pool!" Michael shouted at the Peons. None of them seemed to care as the little water type started to suffocate. Michael took out his flask and opened it. "Alicia, I know it's counter productive here, but please move the water around him. I won't be involved in killing a Pokémon."

Alicia barely even needed the command. She moved her hand and the water moved to surround Remoraid. The little fish seemed to come back to life, though it was still just laying on the ground, immobile.

"Inept little piece of shit," the Peon said. "Fine. Roselia, come out!" As soon as the little floral Pokémon came out, Michael's shadow monitor responded.

"Another one…Alicia, Nick, take out the Golbat first. Focus all your attention on him," Michael said. "We'll get Roselia next."

Nick moved quickly while the Golbat seemed to gather little wind scythes around his wings. With a strong beating of his wings, Golbat sent two cyclones at Alicia and Nick. The Air Cutter was fast, but Michael knew that Nick was faster. Alicia just used a Protect to defend herself, looking almost nonchalant about it.

"Shadow Wave," the Cipher Peon commanded. The little grass-type Pokémon gathered the aura around her enough to fire two shots.

Thankfully, the attacks were slower than usual, making it easy for Alicia and Nick to dodge. Alicia then threw Golbat with a Confusion, while Nick shocked him immediately after. The electricity was the determining factor as the Golbat was knocked out. Roselia was now in their only target, since Remoraid was out of commission already. The dodged Shadow Wave attacks flew past Michael hitting the ground, bursting into small clouds of shadow aura. Michael didn't think anything of it as Nick and Alicia began tag-teaming with Thunder Wave, and Disarming Voice. Michael programmed a snag, beginning to feel a slight stinging sensation on his exposed hand.

Without making a connection, Michael threw the ball, quickly snagging the little floral Pokémon within the first shake. Michael smiled a bit, then looked at his hand seeing that the skin was looking a bit red, as if irritated.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he said softly. Alicia gave him a concerned look, but he waved it off.

 _You'd better be okay,_ she said as the two beaten Pokémon were recalled, only for their balls to be dropped to the floor. That was when the "genuine Justy impersonator" came to the ring, slapping the woman in who'd just lost.

"You're a disgrace to Cipher. If you were going to fail this hard, you might as well have gone to Alola to join that group of failures pretending to be punks," he said. "Get out of my sight!"

She ran out of the building crying, which almost made Michael feel bad for her. "You in Cipher really have no idea what loyalty is, do you?" Michael asked.

"Loyalty? Friendship? What are those but wastes of time?" the Peon said. "I will show you just how much we don't need them. The only thing that matters is power, and how you use it." He then threw his Pokéballs. Michael was faced with a Kadabra, and a Sneasel. Both were weaker in level than Alicia and Nick.

"Nick, use Bite on Kadabra. Alicia, Disarming Voice!" Michael said.

"Kadabra, disable. Sneasel, use Sucker Punch!" the Peon said. The Sneasel was blindingly fast, his claws glowing with a deep violet energy, looking almost like the night sky. At the same time, the Kadabra's eyes glowed a light blue. Alicia tried to shout, but no sound came out, as if it was being blocked. As fear spread over her face, Sneasel sped towards Alicia punching her hard, the energy shooting around her body. That sent her to her knees, gasping for breath.

 _Arceus, fuck that hurt!_ Alicia said. She then went a different route for her attack. _I need energy, and I know something Mom once did to win a battle._

"Do what you need to," Michael said as Nick bit the Kadabra, shaking it around rather harshly before throwing the psychic type into the air. He then improvised and

Alicia grabbed Sneasel and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips glowed as she sapped energy from the dark-type, spinning away. Michael recognized the maneuver, since he had been watching the Hoenn League Tournament that year, marveling at the power those elite Pokémon and their trainers possessed. If Alicia was already emulating her mother during that tournament, he was eager to see what she could do in the future.

That Draining Kiss was enough to knock out the ice-type, though it didn't have the charming effect that Gwen kissing Sam had during their battle, it was still quite impressive as it took out her target.

"Nice work Alicia!" Michael smiled as he pumped his fist eagerly. He watched as the imposter sent out his next two Pokémon. The first was one of the Pokémon that had made up Wes's legendary team. It was a Misdreavus, but this one looked far paler than a healthy specimen would be. It looked sickly, even for a ghost. The second one triggered Michael's Shadow Monitor. It was the small cream-colored cat Pokémon, Meowth, and it looked rather strong, despite what looked like whipping scars on its body.

 _Par for the course for these guys,_ Alicia said. _Making Pokémon suffer like this. I'm gonna tear them apart for this._

"Then, use Confusion and make that easier," Michael urged. "Take out that Misdreavus. Nick, Thunder Wave!"

Alicia gathered psychic energy again, while Nick collected static electricity. The two attacked almost simultaneously, with the shots moving fast. "Shadow Rush, and Shadow Ball," was all the Cipher Peon said. The Misdreavus gathered energy fast and shot the blob of ectoplasm at Alicia. The attack flew rapidly, while Meowth ran at Nick, surrounded by his own aura of shadow. The attacking cat looked angry as he ran forward and crashed into Nick, just as the Jolteon fired his Thunder Wave. Nick stumbled from the impact, but managed to pull through despite how hard he had been hit. The hit had dropped his health below three-quarters, but the Jolteon refused to give up.

Alicia managed to barely get out of the way of the chilling ectoplasm, but it burst behind her, knocking the Kirlia off her balance. To make it worse, Misdreavus seemed to have planned for Alicia to dodge, as a second Shadow Ball hit Alicia just as the first one missed its mark. Alicia cried out as she fell to the ground. _Owwww, damn, I hate this! I can't get a good shot!_ She was down to her last few points of health, and she seemed to be very concerned, as her Confusion attack hadn't really done much to Misdreavus, maybe taking a quarter of her health.

"Alicia, try Disarming Voice! Nick, Double Kick on Meowth!" Michael said. Nick was sprinting as soon as Michael gave his command. Alicia, however, had to gather herself for a second, barely getting up after falling to the ground. She immediately shouted, using as much power as possible, actually causing Misdreavus to falter in the air. At the same time, Nick delivered two strong kicks to Meowth's body, knocking the scratch cat back again, just as Michael finished setting the snag. The ball materialized in his hand, and he threw it confidently. The energy hand flew out and grabbed the Meowth. The Pokémon was pulled in and the ball snapped shut quickly. "Perfect! Now, Nick, Shock Wave on that Misdreavus. Finish this!"

With a spiral of electricity launching out from Nick's fur, the attack doing exactly what Michael hoped. Misdreavus dropped to the ground, and the Peon just growled. "Damn…well, guess I'll be going." He turned to leave.

Alicia grabbed him with her power. "Now…hold it right there," Michael said, his voice dangerous in tone. "We know you know where the citizens of Phenac are. Now, why don't you just spill and tell us."

The peon laughed. "Oh, they're directly below us," he said, gesturing to the elevator, which was locked on the lower floor, leaving only its Pokéball-design roof visible. "But, you know, I'm not important enough to get a key for that elevator. You're shit out of luck." Alicia let go of the man, sensing he was mocking them with the truth. He ran off without another word.

Michael sighed and pet Nick and Alicia happily. "You two were great in those battles. Now it's just a matter of where to find their leader. He probably has the key."

"What about Phenac Colosseum?" said one of the regular trainers, who had been hiding in the nearby classroom of the gym, and listening in until the chance came up. Michael turned to him with a questioning look.

"Wait, you mean the big dome at the top level of the city?" Michael asked. "But that's the most conspicuous building in the city. Would they really have their leader there?"

 _Maybe, I mean people would think what you're thinking now, and rule it out of their search,_ Alicia said with a lightly questioning tone.

"Good point," Michael said. "Should we go up there?"

 _Let's go, we don't have time to waste,_ Alicia said. Michael nodded.

"But you and Nick need to heal up again," Michael said.

"There's a healing machine in the back," the other trainer said. "You can use that."

"Oh, perfect," Michael said with relief. He recalled both Alicia and Nick, following the kid to the machine. He placed his team members into their slots, restoring them to their peak conditions. As soon as they were all off the machine, Alicia came out of her Pokéball, immediately sitting on Michael's shoulder.

 _To the colosseum,_ Alicia said.

* * *

It took less than five minutes to find the staircase to the stadium. At the top, Michael could see an elderly man with a Nuzleaf, just waiting at the top, smiling weirdly. "So, the _hero_ arrives…" his tone told Michael that the man did not, in fact, consider him to be a hero.

"So, you're a fake too," Michael said, barely flinching now.

"Heh, so I guess it's time to take the mask off," the man said as the hologram faded, and he straightened his back. "Damn that disguise hurt my back. But doesn't matter. Time to kick your dumb ass." He sent out the orange tortoise Pokémon, Torkoal. The Pokémon let out some smoke to intimidate.

"Alicia, you sit this one out. Erebus, Boreas, come out!" Michael said. Alicia watched happily, wanting to see her friends from the Libra battle. The Houndoom howled fiercly, while the Spheal bounced happily. It was a stark contrast of personality, but the two seemed equally eager to battle. Michael turned on his battle monitor again, ready to go as well. "Erebus, use Ember on Nuzleaf. Boreas, use Water Pulse on Torkoal," he called.

"Torkoal, use Smokescreen. Nuzleaf, use Bullet Seed on Spheal." The man seemed confident, and his strategy seemed relatively strong. Relatively, though, did not make them actually strong. Torkoal shot out a smokescreen quickly, cloaking the whole battlefield in smoke. Spheal fired three rings of water at the fire tortoise. The water seemed to also permeate the air, making the smoke heavier, making it ash, revealing Nuzleaf as he was taking aim at Boreas, spitting seeds out at high speeds. Boreas seemed to just roll with it, almost having fun with the battle. Erebus quickly shot flames at the seeds, burning them to ash before they even got close, and continuing to hit Nuzleaf directly. Michael smirked as the Water Pulse hit Torkoal easily, knocking him back hard. It made him even happier when Boreas and Erebus began charging up the same attacks.

The Cipher Peon noticed his Pokémon looking at him for help. All he did was look disdainfully at them, as if to tell them to "perish." The looks of betrayal on the faces of the Pokémon was heartbreaking for Michael.

 _How can people be this cruel?_ Alicia asked, looking sadly at the two as they were taken out by the attacks.

"Pathetic," the Peon said. "But, I'm sure Swinub can fix the problems here." He threw a Pokéball, sending out the ground and ice type wooly pig. The moment after it appeared, the Shadow Monitor went off.

"We have another one to snag," Michael said with a confident smirk. "Alright, Boreas, use Powder Snow to try and freeze it. Erebus, use Bite. Try to immobilize." Both Pokémon moved quickly, Boreas breathing frigid air and making small clusters of snowflakes form as they flew at the Swinub. At the same time, Erebus began to prowl around the ice-type, waiting for the right moment to attack.

"Shadow Wave!" the Peon said. Swinub fired two orbs of Shadow aura, aiming for each of Michael's Pokémon. Spheal tried to roll away, but the energy seemed to follow him this time, as if Swinub was intentionally targeting him more than Erebus. Shadow Wave knocked Boreas back hard, taking over half of the Pokémon's health out in a single shot. Erebus shot an ember to counter the Shadow Wave coming his way, giving him more freedom. He bit hard, throwing Swinub across the battlefield. The shadow Pokémon's health dropped below a quarter.

"Perfect timing," Michael said as he programmed a snag. He held his arm to the side, and the ball materialized. At this point, the motion was becoming ritualistically easy. He got into a stance and threw the ball perfectly. The energy hand came out and grabbed Swinub as it was struggling to its feet. The ball landed smoothly, shaking three times before snapping shut.

The Peon sighed. "Key Lair it is," he said, leaving his Pokémon and belt of Pokéballs on the ground. Michael sighed in relief and went to heal Boreas.

"You two were great out there," he said, using a Super Potion spray on the Spheal's wounds, healing them almost instantly. "Now, get some rest. I'm pretty sure you will be battling again soon." He recalled them to their Pokéballs, feeling a bit exhausted. "I think I'll need a rest from everything once today is done."

Alicia almost giggled. _Yeah, no kidding. I can tell I'm getting exhausted too._

Michael smiled to her as Swinub's new Pokéball was teleported to the HQ Lab. He then turned toward the tunnel of the Phenac Colosseum. "We'll just have to power through," he said as he walked inside.

* * *

The waterfalls around the reception desk made the entrance a sight to behold. Thankfully, there were no people in the building. The doors leading to the stadium itself, however, were locked tightly. "There has to be a way to get inside there," he said.

 _Want to search the desk. Maybe there's a button or something inside,_ Alicia said.

"You know, that's a good idea, but I'm going to feel uncomfortable doing it," he said. True to his word, feeling very uncomfortable as he worked, Michael opened up every drawer until he found something interesting. What he did found was a chest hidden under a false-bottom of the bottom drawer. He opened the chest and the first thing on the top was a note.

"Let's see. It reads: _I pray that Cipher does not find this. I only barely got this much together in the hopes that, one day soon, somebody will come along and help this city. Cipher is coming in through the waterway in the back of the stadium, and I doubt they'll have any trouble taking over this city. If you're reading this and Cipher hasn't been dealt with, please accept these items so that they might aid you in removing them from our oasis._ " Michael noticed that it was written with rather sloppy handwriting, showing that the note was written hastily.

 _So, what are the items?_ Alicia asked.

Michael went through the case and found a Water Stone, a TM disc, and what looked like a garage door opener. "Let's see what TM this is," Michael said. He took the disc out, seeing the number 13 on the front. "No way…this is Ice Beam," he said with awe in his voice. "This is one of the most valuable TMs in the world."

 _Oh? And is it the old or new model?_ Alicia asked.

"This looks like it's the new model, so we can use it as much as we want," Michael said. "I'm going to teach it to Boreas," he said. He held up Spheal's Pokéball, taking the disc from its case, and opening the TM disc slot on the Pokéball. In two minutes, the disc popped out with a catchy tune playing to indicate that teaching the attack had been a success.

Michael returned the disc to its case, pocketing it as he took the stone as well before looking at the remote. "Well, if this is what I think it is, then we've got our ticket inside." He aimed the remote at the door, pushing the only button. The blue door to the left of the desk opened. "And bingo," he said.

He went inside, immediately seeing the massive arena, the waterway surrounding it beautifully. There were two Peons already running at him as soon as he entered the stadium, but he still had time to see the surroundings. There was another Peon in the center of the arena, beside him were Marcia and Cameran, two newscasters from ONBS that Michael recognized from school as well. The one who really got his attention, though, was the man dressed, for lack of a better description, like a literal storm cloud.

"Now, you two will submit to my demands, and you will hand over whatever records you have from this city," the eccentrically dressed man said to Marcia. "I will not say it again." His tone was threatening, but in a way that sounded smooth, like the most convincing of politicians.

"No, screw you. You've kept us prisoner in the basement here for over a week. We're the press. You will not bully us!" Marcia said.

"Then you've picked to die for your beliefs. Only difference is that nobody will care about you when you're gone. They won't even know what happened to you."

Michael had heard enough, so he stepped forward, which he correctly guessed would panic one of the Peons into sending out her Pokémon. "Pelipper, Electrike, take out the intruder!"

Michael turned to the attacking Peon. "Sarah and Nick, come out!" he said. His voice caught the attention of everybody in the room, distracting the walking storm cloud from Marcia and Cameran. Cameran, who was carrying his news camera, seemed to start going through the settings. Michael took his focus elsewhere, not wanting to get Cameran caught. Instead, he looked at the levels of his team and his opponents.

"Level 24s for them, and level 28s for my side. This'll be easy."

Whatever Cameran was doing, Michael had other things to focus on. "Nick, Shock Wave to take out that Pelipper. Sarah, use Earth Power on Electrike!" Michael commanded.

"Pelipper, use Protect. Electrike, Bite that Trapinch!" the white-armored peon said, looking determined to look good in front of her boss. Michael didn't care what the woman wanted. And, from the looks of it, neither did his team.

Nick shot a bolt of powerful lightning at Pelipper, while Sarah gathered energy quickly, shooting it into the ground hard, making the area directly in front of Electrike shoot up and hit the electric-type hard, almost immediately knocking it out. "Really? Do you guys ever train your Pokémon?"

"Why would we train tools? Not like their lives mean anything. They're all just weapons." the Peon asked. Pelipper heard her say that, and immediately looked depressed. Michael legitimately felt bad as the bird dropped his Protect and let Nick's Shock Wave knock him out. "See…and not even a functioning tool."

 _So…this is the kind of scum that Cipher brings to them. I could understand groups like Team Aqua and Magma before they merged. They at least believed they were trying to help the environment. Team Rocket weren't even so low. They were usually just greedy. You sick bastards are all psychopaths._ Alicia's eyes showed a sense of fear as she spoke.

"Well, I don't give a shit. Now, come out, Spearow!" she said as she sent out the common brown bird with red wings native to Kanto and Johto normally. The moment Michael saw it, he knew the Shadow Monitor would go off. He realized he was starting to recognize what a Pokémon looked like when it was under so much pain that it had gone numb. It was something he'd never thought happened often enough to begin recognizing it. When the monitor went off, it just confirmed his hate for Cipher.

"Nick, paralyze it," Michael said coldly. Alicia was right about Cipher. They had no motives that could be seen in a positive way. They had no empathy, and they discarded Pokémon they deemed worthless. They were truly heartless and deserved no pity. Michael just felt sorry for the Pokémon they would leave behind along the way.

Nick was quick to fire a Thunder Wave, sensing that Michael was ready for the snag already. Surely enough, as soon as the Spearow was paralyzed, Michael threw the Snag Ball, which snapped shut before it even touched the ground. It teleported to the lab after it settled on the ground. "Alright, now for you," Michael said, turning to the man.

As if not caring about how overwhelmingly Michael just won, he sent out a Chimecho and a Stantler. The former was a floating wind-chime Pokémon which should've looked happy. This one was deadpanning directly at Michael, almost pleading for help. The Stantler looked sickly as well.

"So, when you guys call your Pokémon tools, do you not even do maintenance on your _tools_?" Michael asked. With a growl, Sarah used another Earth Power, aiming for Stantler. The stag Pokémon's antlers, however, began to glow hypnotically. Even though the Earth Power hit, Sarah began to fall asleep from the Hypnosis.

"Sarah, return," Michael said, recalling her a split second before she fell asleep. "Now, come out, Ceres!" The Breloom looked eager to fight. "Now, use Mach Punch to take out that Stantler! Nick, use Bite on Chimecho."

"Chimecho, use Disarming Voice. Stantler…try to survive and stop being worthless." Ceres pummeled the stag Pokémon with a fast punch, noticing its look of betrayal.

 _I really hate hurting these Pokémon. It's like we're hurting kids for what their parents do._

"Yeah, but I'm considering it more like a vaccination. It hurts them a little at first, but it frees them from a lifetime of pain," Michael said. "It makes it easier, to be honest."

As he spoke, Nick bit the Chimecho, making the psychic type flinch and fail to attack. With a powerful Shock Wave at close range, Chimecho was knocked out. "Well, these two are worthless," the Peon said. "Come out, Grimer!"

Again, this Pokémon immediately triggered the Shadow Monitor. Michael sighed, starting to feel that this was getting monotonous. "Nick, Thunder Wave. Ceres, Headbutt."

Nick acted fast, shooting a ball of static electricity at the poison type, paralyzing it before Ceres slammed her head into the poison type. That dropped his health to nearly half.

"Like a Magikarp in a barrel," Michael said, the snag set as he moved his arm into position. "Guess there's comfort in that. We can save these Pokémon much easier. Michael threw the ball, the energy hand grabbed the target to pull it inside, and it then snapped shut, capturing Grimer successfully. Both of the Peons wound up sprinting away, leaving their teams on the ground, along with the Pokéballs.

Michael sent out Sarah, who was now sound asleep, and used an Awakening on her to wake her up. The Trapinch woke up with a lot of energy this time. Michael just smiled. "Great job you guys. Now, let's go take out the next two," he said, turning to the peon and the storm-dressed man, who Michael assumed to be an admin of Cipher, still standing by Marcia and Cameran.

"So, you're Mr. Orison," the admin said. "Seems my underlings are too buffoonish to stop you." He turned to face the other Peon, who was wearing the same uniform as Napps had been. "Egrog, take care of this boy for me. I wish to see him fail."

"Oh, uh…yes sir," the man said, taking out two Pokéballs. "Hoothoot, Graveler, teach this little punk his place!"

"Guess I'll take your challenge. Ceres, Boreas, I need you two." Ceres, who was already out of her Pokéball, hopped forward. Michael opened Boreas's Pokéball, letting out the Spheal. "Let's keep this fast," Michael said.

"Oh, we will," Egrog said. "Hoothoot, Peck on Breloom. Graveler, use Rock Blast on that Spheal. Make this wimp eat the dirt."

"Ceres, use Bullet Seed on Graveler. Boreas, use Ice Beam on Hoothoot," Michael said. Without hesitation, both Ceres and Boreas reared back and fired their attacks. Hoothoot was already flying forward, and it took the full-force of the Ice Beam, the frigid beam hitting her and freezing her wings. She crashed and passed out after that one hit. Graveler managed to pull a big rock out of the ground, launching it at Boreas before Ceres could land her own hit with Bullet Seed, which hit hard repeatedly.

That was all it took for the round to end, as Graveler and Hoothoot were unable to battle. The Peon just scowled and sent out his next two Pokémon. "Gulpin and Seel. Come out!"

Michael was actually unsurprised when the shadow monitor went off. At this point, he was expecting there to be a Shadow Pokémon on Egrog's team. What wasn't expected was Seel being the Shadow.

"Oh, this could be interesting," Michael said. "Ceres, use Stun Spore on Seel. Boreas, use Water Pulse on Gulpin!"

"Gulpin, Poison Gas on that Breloom!" Egrog said. "Seel, Shadow Wave." Again, both of Michael's Pokémon outpaced their opponents. It was a thing of grace to behold, as Gulpin belched out a cloud of toxic gases that flew at Ceres. The gases wound up missing the mark, as Ceres dodged to the left and sent out a cloud of spores, aiming at the Seel. The spores swirled around the water type, making his muscles seize up, preventing him from making any attacks. Boreas acted just as fast, launching three rings of water at Gulpin, hitting hard and dropping his health by half.

Michael had a snag already set. "Boreas, use Ice Beam to finish that Gulpin." Michael smirked as he extended his hand, watching Boreas fire a chilling blast, which hit hard, finishing the job. Michael then threw the materialized ball, which opened and the energy hand pulled the water type inside and the ball snapped shut tightly. In a second, the snag had succeeded, and Egrog was looking appalled.

"Hmph," the man in storm clouds seemed to scoff. "So, you're skilled. Or perhaps Egrog was just not up to it." In a really fluid motion, the man pulled out a remote. "In that case, he is no longer needed…nor are any of the other failures among my subordinates." He pressed a button and Egrog began to shake and seize as if he was getting electrocuted. That was when the smoke and smell of burning flesh began to spread from his body, and he fell to the ground. It was clear the man was dead.

Marcia leaned over to Cameran. "Please tell me you got that on film," she said quietly.

"Don't worry, I caught it on film. And I just connected to the ONBS satellites. They will be getting this next battle live."

Michael was in shock now. "You…just killed a man without even a second thought," Michael said.

"Oh, contraire. I killed every member of Cipher who was in this city who failed me," he said. "Unlike Team Rocket and those other failures, Cipher has no tolerance for failing in our orders. So far, only one man ever escaped us for failing, and that was my embarrassment of a dancing cousin, who was involved in the last Shadow Incident."

"You mean Miror B?" Michael asked.

The man sneered. "My name is Snattle. The Grand Master ordered me to take this city, and he will ensure that I become the next governor of Orre," his sneer turned to a look of pure rage. "But you…you have ruined my ambitions. For that, I will make you and your Pokémon suffer," he took out two Pokéballs and gave a look that showed he was ready to fight.

"Oh, trust me, I will keep ruining your ambitions, murderer," Michael said, looking at Ceres and Boreas, since they were already out of their Pokéballs. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Holy hell, that was way longer than it should've been to get this chapter out. So sorry for that. I know I said that I'd go faster this time, but I had multiple things to deal with, due to moving and job issues.**

 **Anyway, there were enough battle in this chapter, so I will have the battle with Snattle next chapter. Hope y'all don't mind.**

 **Leave a reply to let me know where I can get better, and what you thought of the chapter. It really helps with the quality of the chapters to come.**


	19. Chapter 19 - Shadow Sky

_Shadow Sky_

In her bed, Liz stirred from her sleep, her head throbbing as a headache pierced through her skull. She groaned as she saw a blurry figure of a Gardevoir sitting beside her, sending a soothing energy into her body.

"H-hey…where am I? Who are you?" she asked. The Gardevoir perked up.

 _Liz, you're okay!_ the voice sounded incredibly familiar as the Gardevoir hugged her gently.

"Wait…Alicia?" Liz asked. "What happened, when did you evolve."

 _For starters, you have a severe concussion, so we brought you here. You've been out for nearly three days. Then…the rest of it._

Liz noticed Alicia was getting somber. That's when she heard a heart monitor and a respirator going beside her. She turned her head, dreading what she was about to see. What she imagined couldn't have prepared her for what she saw.

Michael was beside her; his whole body had gauze basically wrapped around it, his skin almost all burned red with the exception of his left arm. It looked like he'd been burned with acid on his entire body, with the damage being the worst on his shoulders and right arm. Liz gasped. "Alicia, tell me what happened," she said, sounding terrified now, trying not to vomit from what she saw mixed with her head throbbing. Alicia saw how she looked and grabbed a bag, holding it for Liz. A second later, Liz rolled over and puked nothing but stomach acid. Alicia tried to comfort Liz, knowing she had been through hell.

 _Well, it was all going well. We even beat the Cipher admin controlling the whole assault. But…_ she turned and got the remote for the television. She turned it on to ONBS, keeping the brightness down for the sake of Liz's concussion. _Just watch the battle…it'll tell you what happened better than I can._

* * *

As the battle was beginning, Snattle pulled out a remote, pressing a button. Almost immediately, a ring of plexiglass came out of the ground, keeping both Michael and Snattle inside the ring with the Pokémon. Michael was confused. "So, we're both stuck in here now. What's your endgame?"

"You'll see in due time. Quagsire, Lanturn, kill this kid and his pathetic team," Snattle said as he threw his two Pokémon out. The first was another one of Wes's iconic Pokémon, a bipedal mud fish with rubbery skin, blue coloring and a purple fin. To the side, the Lanturn was all blue, with yellow rings around his eyes and on his lower jaw. His head had a set of bioluminescent antennae.

Ceres and Boreas went onto the battlefield, and Michael had to wonder why the Cipher admin was sending out a fish in the middle of a mostly dry battlefield. That was when a section of the floor opened below Lanturn that led to a pool of water., almost as if there were sensors in the arena that could detect water-types.

"Now, let me show you how my family has always battled. I, Snattle Vander, shall drown your ambitions," he said. "Quagsire, use Rain Dance!" Lanturn, use Thunder Bolt on that Spheal."

Michael had barely gotten ready to call for an attack when the rain began to fall inside the arena. "Ceres, use Bullet Seed and take out that Quagsire. Boreas, dodge and use Ice Beam. Try to freeze Lanturn!"

Ceres moved fast, launching multiple seeds at the mudfish, it was just the smirk on Snattle's face that made Michael uncertain. Boreas had gathered some chilling ice energy when the electricity lanced through his body from Lanturn's Thunder Bolt. Spheal managed to fire off a small amount of ice for his own attack, but the shot was powerful, taking him out quickly.

 _Shit, they're all tired from our battles today…the peons were one thing, since they were basically a joke. Snattle is actually a good fighter,_ Michael thought as he recalled Spheal, seeing that Ceres had landed five successful hits on Quagsire, easily knocking it out. _I need to be smart about this._

 _Then what if I helped. Please, let's try working without verbal commands,_ Alicia said, ready to jump from her perch on his shoulder to take the empty position on the field.

 _Not yet. I shouldn't be learning a new technique for battling while I'm in a fight like this,_ Michael said, taking out Nick's Pokéball. "Nick come out. I need your help." The Jolteon appeared on the field, Michael knowing how important the ability Volt Absorb would be in the battle. The Lanturn would be hindered by that at the very least.

"Well, you've sent your strongest…let me send mine. Go, Lunatone!" The moment the floating rock-type appeared, Michael's shadow monitor responded, showing the ominous aura around the moon-shaped Pokémon. Snattle smirked. "Well, rain is fine, but I think there's another type of weather better than rain." His quip was full of a malicious tone. "Shadow Sky."

Michael was worried when he saw the gemstone on Snattle's outfit glow as a sort of umbrella-shaped barrier formed around him. It got worse as Lunatone gathered extremely concentrated aura, and shot it into the clouds summoned by Rain Dance. The clouds then took on an ominous hue, with purple and red lightning flashing in the clouds. The rain stayed the same for now, but Michael knew something new was on its way.

Alicia put up Protect above Michael, and the rain started to glow violet. As soon as the first drops hit Nick and Ceres, they both flinched. They both looked like they were getting hurt just from being in contact with the liquid, almost like it was burning them on contact.

Michael already had a guess what Shadow Sky was. It was an incredibly concentrated acidic rain. He needed to make this battle fast, but it seemed like Snattle would make that difficult. "Nick, Ceres, I know it hurts. Please, push through. Ceres, use Bullet Seed on Lanturn. Nick, use Thunder Wave on Lunatone!"

"Lunatone, Shadow Wave. Lanturn, Icy Wind. Slow them both down," Snattle said calmly, not caring that Lanturn was also getting burned by the rain.

Ceres shot a stream of seeds at Lanturn as the fish gathered a small orb of icy energy, firing it and creating a wide cone of swirling, freezing air. It was cold enough to make both Nick and Ceres a little more sluggish.

Thankfully, Ceres still managed to use Bullet Seed, pelting Lanturn repeatedly. The electric fish was almost easily knocked out. That was when Michael saw the smirk on Snattle's face. The man was toying with him.

"Go, Castform," he said. The Weather Pokémon appeared in front of Snattle, and Michael half expected the Pokémon to morph to match Shadow Sky's weather. "Weather Ball on Breloom."

The little cloud-like Pokémon seemed to gather mist from the air, launching it into the clouds of acid rain. A second later, the orb fell out of the air, heading straight for Ceres. However, there was one major difference: the orb was now the color of the rain. Ceres didn't see it until it was too late, and it was moving too fast for Michael to say anything. In an instant, Ceres's health dropped to zero. Michael recalled her immediately.

 _Who next? I have Erebus, Sarah, and Alicia left for this battle, not counting Nick,_ Michael thought. While he was pondering this, Nick had shot a stream of static electricity at Lunatone, but the floating rock dodged the attack almost too easily. "Alright, Erebus, come out. I need your help!" Michael threw the ball out with a calm demeanor. Alicia could tell that he was hiding his worry.

"Shadow Wave and Weather Ball," Snattle said. He didn't elaborate. He knew this would be a win for him. Michael would fall here, and Snattle would be made governor as soon as the Grand Master took over Orre.

"Nick, Shock Wave on Castform. We need to take it out fast," Michael said. "Erebus, use Bite on Lunatone." He knew that Thunder Wave had missed, so he would need to deal with the other distractions before dealing with a snag.

Nick moved fast, firing a strong ring of electricity from his body, aiming for the small cloud as the little Pokémon launched another orb of mist into the air. The shot reappeared over Nick as the electricity hit Castform. The attacks hit almost simultaneously, with Weather Ball doing significantly more damage.

At the same time, Lunatone had just fired two orbs of Shadow aura, aiming them at Erebus and Nick. The Houndoom managed to dodge the Shadow attack as he ran forward to try and clamp his jaws around the Lunatone. The rock type, being more focused on its own attack, didn't dodge in time. Michael watched the Shadow Pokémon's health drop to about half. "Erebus, let it go and use Ember to finish that Castform!" With the speed of a Houndoom trained by police, Erebus turned and shot a stream of flames that peppered Castform, finishing what Nick had started.

Nick still tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't let him move. The burning of the rain made it harder for Jolteon as well. Michael could tell that his Pokémon was done with this battle. He recalled Nick. "Thank you, buddy. You were great. Now rest up." He took out Sarah's Pokéball. "Come out, Sarah. I need your help."

The Trapinch appeared, ready to help her trainer, even as Michael saw her wincing with each drop of the rain. Across the way, Michael saw Snattle with a smirk again. "Metang, come out," he said. The Pokémon that appeared was the floating mech Pokémon with two powerful arms. Its heavy body moved gracefully in the air, ready to attack.

 _Not as strong as Maxwell…but maybe I can still show how strong I am against steel-types,_ Alicia said.

Michael heard Alicia, but kept focus on the battle. "Sarah, use Earth Power on Metang. Erebus, use Ember on Metang too," he said, noticing the rain was fading. "Just bear with the rain for a little longer."

"Oh? Confident in that, aren't we?" Snattle said. "Lunatone, use another Shadow Sky. Keep the storm raging." Lunatone's aura became concentrated in front of it, launching the orb into the sky. It burst into the clouds, giving the sky an even darker shade as the rain restarted.

Michael moved quickly with programming a snag. Erebus was first to attack, launching fire at the steel-type. At the same time, Sarah stomped her orange foot, making the ground shoot up like a platform directly under Metang. Neither attack did anything, as Metang was just as fast with using Protect without a command, the shield holding strong against both attacks.

"Bullet Punch on that Houndoom. Take him out," Snattle said. The Metang's fist shimmered before he flew at his target. The hit was blindingly fast, knocking the Houndoom off his feet.

 _I'm sorry to put you guys through all this. I won't lose this,_ Michael said, the snag now ready. He took his stance and threw the ball easily, the energy hand grabbing Lunatone just as Metang went in for another Bullet Punch to do more than just knock out Erebus. Sarah leapt from the ground, headbutting the steel type out, not doing too much damage, but slowing it down enough for Michael to recall Erebus. As soon as Erebus was safe, Lunatone's snag was completed. "Thank you. We won't lose. I promise you," Michael said. Alicia floated to the ground, though her protect shielding over Michael stayed in place.

"Ice Punch," Snattle said. Metang turned to Trapinch with his hands covered in an icy energy. He swung hard, sending her plummeting into the ground. Michael recalled her as soon as she landed, knowing her health had hit zero.

"Alicia, it's just you now. Let's do this!"

 _Then trust me. Just let me hear your thoughts and I will win this, just like Mom,_ Alicia said.

 _I can do that, but you have a serious disadvantage. Are you sure you can win?_ Michael asked, realizing Alicia had a bit of an ego. She was clearly certain that she could win by virtue of her heritage.

 _I don't have much of a choice,_ she said with a wince as the rain hit her. _Either I win, or Snattle will probably kill us._

 _You say that like you know his personality…_ Michael said.

 _I never saw his face…but his voice was the first one to greet me when I woke up after the Libra crashed. He had no problem killing Pokémon he deemed too weak to be of use to Cipher._

Michael looked angered as he heard what Alicia said. _Then, we will win this, no matter the cost,_ he said. _Start with a Reflect, then use Shock Wave._

Alicia smirked, the link with her trainer getting stronger as they worked. She gathered energy around herself, readying herself for physical attacks. She then gathered some electricity and fired it at Metang.

The steel-type took the hit, but Michael saw it didn't do much to their opponent, maybe taking an eighth of his health. _Damn, we can't continue at this pace…_ Michael said. Metang took that chance to fly at Alicia, ready with another Bullet Punch.

 _Teleport out of the way,_ Michael said. Alicia focused for a second, disappearing for a moment before appearing behind where Metang was aiming. _Try a Disarming Voice!_ Alicia took a breath, and shouted, her voice intentionally grating. The attack was a bit more effective, but only a little bit. The type match-up was clearly a problem, but it was less effective than expected. Something was off with Alicia's attacking power. Metang rushed forward and tried to land a Metal Claw. Alicia managed to get out of the way of the actual attack, but Metang took that opportunity to slam its body into her, taking a third of her health.

Michael noticed look of strain on Alicia's face beyond what she should've been feeling at this point. He looked up at the shield over his head, remembering that she had put it up for him. A sense of realization came over him.

 _Alicia, are you still putting energy into this shield?_ Michael asked.

 _Yes. I can't let my trainer get hurt. This rain is painful enough for a Pokémon. I don't want to see what will happen to you if it touches you,_ Alicia said, looking at her trainer, pleading desperately.

 _You won't be able to win if you don't take this shield down now!_ Michael said. _You're using too much energy protecting me_.

 _No, I can't let you get hurt!_ Alicia pleaded, teleporting away from a Bullet Punch.

 _If you don't drop this shield, we'll lose. Then all of this will have been for nothing!_ Michael said.

 _I don't care!_ Alicia said, looking like she was going to cry. _You could easily die in this rain!_

Michael grit his teeth. "Alicia, take down the shield. Focus on winning this battle. That's an order!" he called out.

 _Damn it!_ she said, crying. _Fine, you win._ The barrier over Michael dropped, and the rain hit him. The mind-numbing pain was quick to follow. His skin felt like thousands of hot needles were piercing his body. He couldn't stop himself from crying out in pain.

"Fool," Snattle said. "You will die here, never accomplishing anything."

 _YOU SHUT UP!_ Alicia said, her eyes full of anger as her body started glowing. _I will not let my trainer die. And I won't let you win!_ Alicia's bright glow enveloped her whole body as she got taller, her dress got longer, making her look almost exactly like her famous mother. The only exception was that she had a faint purple ring around her irises, as if marking her past as a purified shadow Pokémon. _I will destroy Cipher with him and Liz. You won't end us here!_

Snattle seemed taken aback, especially when he saw Alicia take a breath, preparing to attack. Instead, she took on a green aura as she increased her power. "Calm Mind? That's your trump card?"

Alicia just kept powering up, dodging Metang whenever he got close with an attack, the Bullet Punches causing the steel-type to crash into the ground repeatedly. Metang, however, was still being affected by Shadow Sky just as much as her.

Alicia noticed Michael on his hands and knees, watching the battle as he began to bleed over his entire upper body except for his arm covered by the snag machine. She needed to end this fast. _What would Mom do?_ she thought. Alicia had seen Gwen perform an incredibly powerful attack that might work here…but it was something she didn't believe she could accomplish with her current power. _Hyper Voice isn't an option…but maybe…_

Without a hesitation, she recalled how it felt whenever her mother would use Ghost-Type attacks. She knew that Metang had to be low enough on health that this attack might actually win the battle for them. She gathered an orb of black ectoplasm, trying to get it ready to throw. Metang saw her preparing and took the momentary lapse in her focus to try another Bullet Punch. Alicia took a breath and threw the orb at the steel tank of a Pokémon. Her attack hit hard, knocking out Metang. Unfortunately, the Pokémon's body kept flying forward, crashing into Alicia.

With his mind barely holding on to his consciousness, Michael saw that the battle was over, with him winning. "Alicia…you won," he said happily before passing out.

* * *

Just outside the ring, Marcia and Cameran were both watching in horror, but Cameran kept filming the whole thing, streaming it live to ONBS's channel. The world needed to know exactly what Cipher was doing. It was made worse when they heard Michael make his desperate plea for his Kirlia to stop defending him, only for him to get immediately burned seriously. Marcia stepped away for a moment, grabbing a phone from one of the dead Peons, calling for an ambulance quickly, knowing Michael would need serious medical attention.

She had been turned around when Alicia evolved, giving information to the emergency line operator. She finished the call as Alicia made her last attack, ending the fight.

"Wait, I missed it! Please tell me you got it all," Marcia said.

"Don't worry, I got it," Cameran said, the plexiglass retreating under the battlefield as Shadow Sky's clouds dispersed. He was about to end the stream, but Alicia managed to lift Metang's body off herself with some telekinesis before she started crawling toward Michael. In his gut, Cameran knew this was going to be a once in a lifetime moment, so he kept filming.

 _Come on, please be alive_ ,Alicia said with some strain in her voice as she got to her trainer's side, reaching for him.

In the back of her mind, Alicia saw the smirking, demented vestige of herself, having evolved as well. All it said was _You're too late. Give up and know despair._ Those lines were on repeat as she tried to summon her power.

 _Heal Pulse…maybe that will work on humans too,_ she said, turning Michael over, seeing his body was covered in what looked like severe acid burns. He was bleeding to the point that his vest was turning red. She held her hand out, sending a ring of healing energy into his body. It seemed to help a little, but only in keeping him from bleeding out. _Another one,_ she said with resolve, despite her voice shaking from the effort. She sent another wave, still only healing him slightly. Tears formed in her eyes as she kept sending energy into her trainer's body, he wouldn't wake no matter what she did. She eventually felt herself passing out from the strain, but she fought harder.

Marcia couldn't help but start crying, the sight of a Pokémon working to the point bordering on suicide. "Where are the paramedics?" she asked. "If they take much longer…they'll both…" As if waiting for that cue, the doors to the stadium opened, and three EMTs entered, carrying a gurney and IV equipment. "Thank Arceus," she said, her voice filled with relief.

Sadly, with the heart-wrenching scene in front of them, nobody noticed as Snattle snuck out of the building, dropping the key card to the Pre-Gym's elevator as he left. It wasn't until later that night that the police collected it, releasing the citizens from the basement.

* * *

The video transitioned to the news report that came the day after the stream, where they praised Michael for his efforts that not only stopped Cipher's ambiguous plans, but saved the entire population of Phenac City from a reign of terror. Liz didn't hear a word of it. "Alicia…"

The Gardevoir seemed almost ashamed. _I couldn't protect him…I failed him and I failed you,_ she said.

Liz grabbed the Pokémon's hand, pulling her close, her own tears forming now. "You kept Michael alive. Thank you," she said, choking up as she spoke, hearing the news caster say that doctors of Phenac General Hospital were expecting Michael to make a full recovery.

At this point, all she could do was hope it was true. After all, Michael was still fighting to give all of Orre hope.

 _Alright, get some rest. I'll be here for you both,_ she said. _I'll let you know when any visitors come._

 **Well, there's the end of the chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know in the reviews what you thought about it. Let me know where you think I can improve, as it really helps my writing.**

 **Anyway, I'm keeping this outro brief. Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	20. Chapter 20 - Painful Recovery

_Painful Recovery_

 _Ow, fucking shit that hurts!_ Michael thought as he woke up, his whole body was searing with pain. He could hear a heart monitor beside him as he opened his eyes. He noticed a few things. First, Liz was in the bed to his right, a Gardevoir he slowly recognized as Alicia was sleeping in a chair between the two beds, and there were countless bouquets of flowers in the room. The biggest one of them had a to/from tag big enough for Michael to read. _The Maple Family? How did they…?_ He sighed with a smile as he realized they probably watched ONBS to keep up with Alicia.

The last thing he noticed was his skin. It was almost all red and blistered, with a mix of burning pain and freezing cold radiating through his body. The only exception was his left arm, which seemed to be unharmed on his hand and shoulder.

It took him a second to realize there was a problem. He couldn't see the Snag Machine anywhere. His panic must have caught Alicia's notice, since she woke up almost immediately. _Michael calm down,_ she said firmly. _It's safe._

"What do you mean? Where is it?" Michael asked.

Alicia pointed to the nightstand beside Michael. _Your family is here. I told Dr. Krane about what happened, and he took the Snag Machines from both you and Liz. He didn't say why, he just did._

Michael heard what she'd said, but he almost blanched when she said their families were here. "Did Jovi see me?"

 _Not yet. Your mother did, though…_ Alicia saw Michael wince. _She's terrified of Cipher too. I think I even heard her start arguing with Dr. Krane and Dr. Hanz about letting you and Liz continue this fight._

"I see…" Michael said. "They're still here?"

 _I told them I'd let them know when you woke up,_ Alicia said. _Should I tell them now?_

Michael nodded. Not twenty seconds later, the door to their room opened, and Michael saw his mother coming in. While she normally looked put together and professional, Michael saw that her eyes were red from tears, and she looked haggard, with her hair falling out of her bun. When she saw Michael awake, she immediately rushed to him and gently hugged her son tightly, kissing his cheek.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Mom," Michael said, knowing what she was thinking.

Lily let her son go, shaking her head. "Don't be sorry. I saw what happened on ONBS. I'm proud of you for saving this city," she said with a gentle smile. "But…seeing you like this…" she started to cry a bit more.

"Mom?" Michael asked, realizing there was more to his mother's emotions.

"It reminds me too much of your father…"Lily said with tears falling.

"What do you mean?" Michael asked. "I know Dad was killed…but how…"

"Because Cipher was almost certainly behind it…" Lily said, making Michael go quiet. "I don't know the specifics of that night, since I wasn't there…but the news of the Purify Chamber had just been featured on ONBS, shortly after Cipher was first defeated. We had been getting threats over the phone to stop the research. When he refused…" She stopped and covered her mouth a bit. "The only person who witnessed anything was too late, and all he saw was a man dressed in expensive clothes running toward Pyrite's Under.

Michael looked surprised, having never heard that detail of what happened to his father. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more careful."

Lily's eyes seemed to flash with concern. "You've done enough…" she said quietly.

"What?" Michael asked.

Before Lily could explain, the door opened again, with Jovi running inside, followed by Dr. Krane and Dr. Hanz. "Big brother!" the little girl said, running to his bed, about to jump up to hug him. Luckily Lily intercepted the girl.

"Easy. You can't hug him too hard," Lily said, noticing Michael looked a bit relieved, especially since he couldn't move without serious pain. Jovi still climbed up into the bed, hugging her brother tightly, starting to cry as well.

Michael now realized just how much these injuries would affect not only him, but also his loved ones. He slowly hugged Jovi back. "I'm sorry, Jovi. I made you worry, didn't I?"

Jovi pulled back enough for Michael to see her nodding, tears in her eyes. "I thought you were going to die."

Michael's heart panged with guilt. He had been so focused on fighting Cipher that he'd made life harder for his entire family, especially for the person he was supposed to protect. _Damn…what kind of older brother am I?_

 _The kind that's working towards keeping her safe no matter the cost to yourself,_ Alicia said privately.

 _I guess, but I need to be more careful in the future…but how…?_

As if waiting on cue, Dr. Krane stepped forward. "Michael, we need to talk seriously," he said. "About how to proceed with your battle with Cipher."

Michael looked up at Dr. Krane, then to Dr. Hanz, who had just lightly woken up Liz. "What do you mean?"

Dr. Krane sighed. "During the Shadow Pokémon Incident ten years ago, Shadow Pokémon only had one attack: Shadow Rush. We assumed that there wouldn't be any others this time around, aside from similar attacks, like Shadow Blitz. We never even considered that there could be a Shadow weather-based attack, let alone one that powerful." Michael and Liz kept listening, not sure where this was going. "So…we have two options, considering what happened here."

"Whatever the options are, I want to keep fighting Cipher," Michael said.

"I do too," Liz said, looking determined. Her head had stopped hurting as much over the past few days, and she was silently grateful that modern medicine could mix so well with the use of Pokémon Healing Therapy.

"That's the thing," Krane said. "It was easy these past few weeks when battling Cipher, right?"

"A little," Michael said. "Why?"

"Because, if they've been keeping this kind of ability hidden, it stands to reason that they've been letting you think you're winning," Dr. Krane said.

"Then you understand that we need to keep getting stronger to stop them," Michael said.

"Michael, look at your body," Lily said, sounding stern, but concerned as she picked Jovi up and moved Michael's blankets. Michael's eyes went wide, seeing that his skin was red and almost looked like it was sunken in some areas. His shoulders were the worst, but his stomach was pretty bad as well. His skin almost looked like Deadpool's. It was horrifying to say the least.

"Now, I can make an addition to the Snag Machines that might help," Dr. Krane said.

"Although, I am against it," Dr. Hanz said. "I don't think this is truly your fight. We can call on Wes to get him back to Orre. He and Rui may have a family in Unova at this point, but he has the experience needed to deal with a full-strength Cipher."

 _Lily, didn't you say that Michael's father was likely killed by Cipher?_ Alicia said.

Lily flinched a bit. "Yes, I did," she said softly.

 _So, this_ _ **is**_ _Michael's fight. It's been his fight ever since the Purify Chamber caught Cipher's attention,_ Alicia said. _And, he and Liz have both had battles with Cipher broadcast across all of Orre. Even if they stop now, Cipher won't,_ Alicia said with a convincing tone. _It's kind of like when the Maples were battling Team Aqua and Team Magma. They didn't intend to get involved with the two groups, but they got dragged into the conflict just because they interacted with the groups. Michael and Liz are deeper in the fight with Cipher._

Dr. Krane sighed. "You raise a good point, Alicia. Still…you didn't let me explain the options. The first is that you can press on without changing anything, likely winding up in hospital beds again. The second is the one I hope you pick: I add a metal umbrella of the same metal we used to make the snag machines."

Michael perked up. "You need to ask?" he asked with a grin. "Make the additions…if you haven't already."

"Well, the device itself has gotten the improvements. We just need to add the sensor to activate it automatically. Unless you want to make it a manual activation."

"I think the manual option would be the easiest," Liz said.

"Agreed. I don't want the sensors misreading the aura from other Shadow attacks and activating it needlessly," Michael said.

"Very well. I can add that adjustment within the next day," Dr. Krane said.

That conversation ended when the door opened, one doctor entering the room. "Oh, good morning. Glad to see that you're both awake," the first said. "We're here to discuss treatment with Mr. Orison."

Lily nodded. "Richard, mind taking Jovi outside?"

Dr. Krane nodded. "Certainly," he said, picking up Jovi, despite the girl reaching for Michael so she could stay with her brother. This wouldn't be a conversation she should hear.

Once she was out, the doctor started. "Well, I am Dr. Drake Ramoray. I specialize in dermatology surgery, and concentrate on burns," he said. "To be perfectly honest, in my years of practice, I have rarely seen such serious burns on a living patient."

Michael winced. "Is it that bad?"

Dr. Ramoray nods. "Your skin was almost entirely burned off. Had that rain continued any longer, you would not be alive right now."

Michael looked at Alicia gratefully. "So…Alicia saved my life," he said, wanting to hug the Gardevoir in thanks.

 _You don't have to thank me,_ she said. _I'd never be able to face my mother if my trainer died on my watch."_

 _Is that the only reason?_ Michael asked. Alicia just smiled and winked before the doctor continued.

"I can see that you've seen the damage to your skin, and, to be honest, medicine likely won't be able to treat it," he said.

"Then…what are my options?" Michael asked.

"We could continue with simple medical treatment, like ointments. Or…we can do an experimental method. We'd need to take stem cells from your epidermal layer of skin, then use them for grafting. How this surgery usually works is a bit technical, but with Pokémon aiding the process, it will go much faster, and the chances of success will be much higher."

"I feel like there's a catch, because that all sounds too good to be true," Michael said.

"The recovery could hurt like hell," the doctor said, bluntly. "Moving more than short bursts before you're ready could cause the new skin to tear."

Michael paused for a moment. "Is that surgery something that needs to be done quickly, or can it wait?" The others in the room, including Liz and Alicia, looked at Michael with shock.

"The sooner it's done, the more effective it will be. Your skin is healing slowly, but without this surgery, you could end up permanently scarred," Dr. Ramoray said.

Michael sighed. "And how long will it take for me to be able to get out of the hospital?"

"At minimum, you'd be in here a week," Dr. Ramoray said. "But I'd recommend you take two weeks to heal before moving more than a few steps. Otherwise, you'll be in pain whenever you move, and you might tear the new skin before it can adapt."

Michael nodded. "And…if I don't do the surgery?"

"Like I said, the burns were severe. Your skin might not be able to heal at all without it," Dr. Ramoray said.

Michael nodded. "Then I'll do the surgery."

Lily gave her son's hand a light squeeze, trying to impart some comfort. Liz seemed solemn, giving Michael a look saying that she wanted to talk when they were alone.

"Alright, I will get you scheduled for tomorrow morning for that. We'll make sure you don't have food after 5, or drink after midnight," Dr. Ramoray said, marking his notes and heading to the door. "I'll see you then."

Michael was silent for a moment after the door closed, looking at his family. "Did I make the right choice?"

Lily sighed. "I don't know. You made a more difficult choice. Whether it's right…I couldn't say."

Liz seemed to just be silent. Dr. Hanz held his daughter's hand. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she would wait to say it until their parents left.

The talking that day went on for a few hours before a nurse came in. "Sorry, but visiting hours will be ending in twenty minutes."

Lily and Dr. Hanz nodded. "Guys, call us any time," Dr. Hanz said, giving Liz a kiss on the forehead. Lily did the same to Michael.

"We love you both. And we'll be here before Michael goes into surgery."

"Sounds good, love you too." Michael said with a smile.

"Love you, Dad," Liz said.

Their families left, though Jovi stayed for a second longer, holding Michael's hand. "I love you big brother," she said, hugging Michael. Then she went to Liz and hugged her. "And I love you too, big sister."

Liz blushed at how cute Jovi was being, and hugged the girl back. "We love you too, Jovi. We'll see you tomorrow morning."

Michael smiled to his sister. "I love you Jovi. Sleep well tonight." Jovi skipped to Lily's side, smiling blissfully as she took her mother's hand. Lily gave them both a wave before the door closed behind them.

Two minutes passed before Liz spoke, though it seemed like an hour to Michael.

"Are you really going to go through with this surgery?" Liz asked.

Michael sighed, knowing this was what she wanted to talk about. "Yes, I'm sure. I know I'll get hurt fighting Cipher, but…you saw my skin, Liz. I can barely move without pain."

Liz looked at him. "Still…this is an experimental procedure. It might not work…"

"I know…" Michael said. "But if I'm hurting while fighting, I won't be at my best."

"And you're aware that there isn't a guarantee that you won't feel pain later?" Liz asked, sounding concerned.

"Yes, I know…but I need to make sure nothing holds me back," he said.

"And there's nothing else to this? You're not just trying to avoid scarring, right?" Liz asked.

Michael smiled at her. "I promise it's not just for cosmetic reasons."

"Good, because I still love you even if you have scars…" Liz said.

 _Hey, guys…you know I'm still here, right?_ Alicia asked from the chair she seemed to be enjoying, feeling a bit awkward in this conversation.

"Sorry, I thought you were asleep," Michael said.

 _Almost, just barely awake,_ Alicia said tiredly.

"Then, maybe we should sleep too," Liz said.

"Right," Michael said, seeing it was almost nine at night. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Liz said happily as she laid back happily.

* * *

Two days later, Michael woke up for the first time since his surgery, his entire body covered with bandages, with his arms and legs suspended above him enough to prevent him from moving too much. Liz was now seated beside him, no longer in her bed. It seemed that the treatments were really effective for her concussion, as she was wearing her normal attire. The purple shirt was refreshing for Michael to see again.

"H-hey," Michael said softly. Liz bolted up at the sound of his voice.

"Well, hey there sleeping beauty," she said, smiling softly. "Alicia just went out to grab some coffee from Starboks."

"She drinks coffee?" Michael asked. "Guess we really need to get to know her more."

"Well, she said she wanted a hot chocolate, and she would get me a latte."

"Did you get me anything?" Michael said jokingly.

"Well, you didn't say anything when Alicia asked," Liz joked back.

Michael laughed a bit. "So…I can barely feel anything right now…" he said.

"Want me to get the doctor?" Liz asked.

"If it's not too much trouble," Michael said in a grateful tone.

Liz left the room for a moment, returning a minute later with Dr. Ramoray in-tow.

"And he's awake. How do you feel with that surgery?" Dr. Ramoray asked with a smile.

"Hard to say," Michael said. "I can only really feel pressure from the slings."

Dr. Ramoray nodded. "Yeah, the nerve endings need a couple days to integrate into the new skin," he said. "That's why we're having you stay motionless. Aside from tearing the skin, you would also have trouble moving with your sensory nerves feeling dulled."

"Will I be getting some Pokémon healing therapy?" Michael said.

"Actually, your Gardevoir has been learning from our clinic's Pokémon. She's been insistent on helping you recover," Dr. Ramoray said.

Michael smiled. "I'll need to thank her," he said. "Remind me, how long do I need to wait until I can get out of the hospital, by the way?"

"Depending on how fast the therapy goes for you. It could be a week, or it could be two before you can move enough to be discharged," Dr. Ramoray said.

"Thank you," Michael said. "Anything I can do to make this easier?"

Dr. Ramoray chuckled. "Just rest. You have the whole region hoping for your recovery."

Michael perked up a bit. "What?"

Liz turned on the television, going to ONBS, and they saw Ancha standing by Phenac's fountain. Behind her was a massive crowd of people, all holding candles, along with a well-dressed man who had greying hair. "I'm standing here with the vigil waiting for Michael Orison to come out of the hospital. Next to me is Mayor Trest of Phenac City. Mayor, I understand that you have a message you'd like to say to Mr. Orison."

Trest nodded, a campaign button reading "Trust Trest" on his lapel. "Yes, I have a simple message," the man said. "Michael, if you're watching this, you are an inspiration to all of us in Orre. Phenac owes you a debt of gratitude that we may never be able to repay. Please get well soon. We will do all we can to help you fight Cipher until you're able."

Michael looked a bit shocked as Ancha thanked the Mayor, moving on to a group of people wearing clothes similar to what both Michael and Liz wore. "Would you all care to comment?" Ancha asked.

"Yeah, Michael and Liz are the new Wes and Rui!" one of the guys said with a cheer from the crowd. "And Cipher doesn't stand a chance!"

"Orre is basically all like that," Liz said. "You're giving people hope."

"So, the sooner I get out, the better it'll be for them," Michael said.

"No, the healthier you are when you get out, the better it will be for giving them hope," Liz said. "They can wait just a little longer. Take your time."

Michael settled into the bed again. "Got it. How long till these bandages come off again?"

"They'll be off in less than a week. Just sit tight and relax," Dr. Ramoray said.

"Okay, I can do that," Michael said.

"Well, I'm going to make my rounds. If you need anything, please call for a nurse, or me," he said, more to Liz as Michael seemed to be drifting back to sleep.

"Thank you, doctor," Liz said softly, looking at Michael with a smile. The recovery would be difficult, but Michael would pull through. She knew he would. "Dr. Krane will certainly have the Snag Machines modified by the time you're healthy."

* * *

 **Well, holidays are done, other than New Year's. Life is stressful still, so I apologize for being slow again.**

 **This was a quick chapter, but next one will be longer, though there may not be any battles in the next chapter too.**

 **I'll keep it brief with the outro in this chapter. Until next time ~ jmoul18**


	21. Chapter 21 - Rumors and Robots

_Rumors and Robots_

Michael groaned as he woke up, his bandages much lighter, and his limbs feeling extremely stiff compared to when he first woke from the surgery. "Alicia, how long has it been now?"

 _Well, good morning to you too. Today is the start of the third week since your surgery._

"And where is Liz?" Michael asked.

 _She went to the Pre-Gym. She said she wanted to train so she could start pulling her weight more. She also said she wanted to work with Wraith since she purified her,_ Alicia said, referring to the Duskull Liz had captured.

Michael smiled. "Glad she's staying active. Is she using that Roselia I snagged for her?"

 _Yeah, she's absolutely in love with it. She's almost purified too._

Michael smiled at the thought. "Anything new with Cipher?"

Alicia shook her head, half relieved, half uneasy. _They've been strangely inactive these past three weeks. Maybe they're licking their wounds._

"That doesn't really fit them…" Michael said. "I really don't like that they're not being active now. Wouldn't it be really easy since Liz and I aren't working to stop them now?"

Alicia sat silently for a moment. _I remember Mom told me once about a time when Team Aqua kidnapped May to try and tell Brendan to back off. It may not have worked, but their actions back then may be related to Cipher's actions now._

"You think they're sending a message?" Michael asked.

 _Maybe…I just think it could be a way of saying that we are so utterly insignificant to them that they can't be bothered to battle us in person._

"If that's true, they're either cocky, or they're actually that strong," Michael said. "Makes me worried, considering Snattle was already incredibly strong."

A knock came at the door, and Michael saw Dr. Ramoray in the door. "Hey, hope you're feeling alright. Today's the day you get the bandages off for good," he said with a charming smile.

"Yeah, Doc. I'm ready to hit the road," Michael said with a smile, looking at the closet where a fresh set of clothes was hanging. "And I get to try on that outfit the mayor sent as a thank you gift."

 _Even though they're the exact same as the clothes that got burned by the acid?_ Alicia asked.

"Yeah, exactly," Michael said.

 _And there's nothing else you want to try on again, right?_ Alicia asked, looking at the silver Pokéball-like device on Michael's nightstand. It was the new and improved Snag Machine, which Dr. Krane had completed for both Michael and Liz a week ago. Michael had wanted to try it on and test it immediately, but Alicia had forcefully restrained him, much to the amusement of Liz.

"And I thought you'd forgotten about that," Michael said.

Dr. Ramoray chuckled as he approached, a cute blonde nurse beside him. "Well, let's get those bandages off. You can enjoy the new clothes and the device all you want once we're done."

With some help, Michael sat up and the medical staff began to work.

* * *

In the Pre-Gym, Liz was in the middle of battling Justy's mid-level team, which was on-par with Liz's own team. And it seemed that she had him on the ropes this time.

"Well, this has been fun, but I think we need to end this," Liz said confidently. Justy's team was down to a Gligar and a Nosepass, with Liz having beaten his Sandslash, and Cacnea. "Wraith, use Shadow Ball on Gligar. Roselia, use Shadow Wave!"

The purified Duskull gladly gathered a ball of black ectoplasm in front of her, firing it at the tired Gligar across the arena. Roselia was less enthusiastic, the cold aura gathering in front of her as she fired the twin orbs of energy. The Nosepass was less mobile, having been ensnared by a Leech Seed that was steadily draining his health. Both attacks hit solidly, knocking out the last of Justy's team.

"Yeah, that was great!" Liz said, petting the two Pokémon as best she could while avoiding Roselia's venomous spikes and while barely able to touch Wraith. After a few moments of congratulatory petting, Liz recalled her two Pokémon.

"Great job Liz. You've definitely improved over this past week," Justy said with a smile as he recalled his team. "Is Michael doing better too?"

"To my knowledge, he is," Liz said. "I'm also pretty sure he's going to be discharged today. Who knows, he might be coming in today."

"Well, that's certainly good to hear. If that's the case, I'm guessing you'll be moving on from Phenac, right?" Justy asked.

"Well, we would, but we don't know how to proceed. I don't know where Cipher is working now," she said.

"Oh? In that case, I think I have some advice for you. I heard there were some shady characters in the desert north of the city. Might be a lead there," Justy said.

"Well, once Michael is ready, we'll take the scooter and check it out," Liz said.

"Oh…and I'm assuming the scooter has tires, right?" Justy said with a grimace.

"Yeah, why?"

"Sadly, you won't be able to get through the sand dunes north of here with normal wheels," Justy said, looking a bit apologetic. "Figured I'd save you the trouble of digging a wheel out of the sand."

"Either way, that should be a major help," Liz said. "Thank you so much."

With that, she headed to the locker room, having worn new set of active trainer clothes she'd bought at a Maple Apparel Outfitters. The outfit consisted of a forest green athletic tank top over a black sports bra, and a pair of tight grey dance shorts. To make things better, when she'd gone to buy it, the clerk recognized her, and thanked her for helping the city, saying the manager wanted to give her a 25% discount as thanks. That was when things got even better, because once she scanned her trainer card, the cost of the clothes dropped by more than 75%. The clerk, with a shocked expression, explained that the Maple family gave her and Michael half-off on everything. The note had said it was as thanks for protecting Alicia.

Liz smiled as she got to the shower stalls, stripping naked and letting the hot water run over her body. "I hope Michael is awake when I get to the hospital. Maybe I'll surprise him with some smoothies when I get there," she thought out loud as she conditioned her hair. "I should probably get something for Alicia too. Maybe a Sitrus Berry and mint." She continued to think out loud for her shower, using cherry blossom shampoo and conditioner, with a pine scented body wash, which she knew Michael liked.

Ten minutes later, she was dressed in her favorite outfit, with her hair in a cute ponytail. She sent out Titania to walk with her. "Alright. Time to go get some smoothies."

She left the Pre-Gym with a wave to Justy and the admittedly cute guy at the reception desk. She then walked to a new smoothie shop, _Alola Fusion Smoothies and Drinks_ , seeing the line out the door. "Well, Titania, should we wait?" Liz asked. Titania just scampered into the line eagerly, her ribbons and tail swaying with joy. "Guess that answers that question." Liz laughed slightly, following her Pokémon. Thankfully, the line moved fast, getting them to the ordering counter quickly.

"Oh, you're Miss Liz Hanz, correct?" the girl behind the counter asked. Her eyes gleamed with joy and excitement.

Liz smiled bashfully. "Yeah, that's me."

"By Arceus, you and Michael are my heroes," she said. "Also, my manager wanted to offer you discounts as thanks."

"Oh, that's not necessary," Liz said, trying to be humble, but she knew there was no stopping the celebrity treatment.

"You saved the city. It's absolutely necessary. What can I get for you?"

Liz made some quick orders, getting Michael a Pecha Green Tea smoothie, Alicia a Sitrus Mint, a Nanab Rawst for Titania, a Cherri Oran for herself, and a variety for the rest of their Pokémon, which were just as tailored for their tastes. It took the staff about 10 minutes to get the smoothies all ready and put into a drink caddy. In total, there were 14 drinks. Titania was more than happy to help carry them to the hospital for Michael and his team, sipping her own smoothie while they walked, smiling cutely.

They entered the hospital, getting a wave from the nurses at the reception desk as she passed. The elevator was a quick ride, getting them up to the floor on which Michael's room was located. The door opened, and she saw an incredible sight. Michael was already waiting for the elevator with Alicia beside him, and his bandages completely off. He was even already wearing his Snag Machine, mirroring her own. "Hey…you look healthy."

"Yeah, and I feel great," he said with a charming smile that made Liz's heart skip a beat when she saw it.

"Well, I…umm…got some smoothies for everybody. Want to go sit outside with the Pokémon?"

"Of course!" Michael said. "There's a lot of quiet benches by the town fountain, want to go there?"

"Yeah, that sounds fantastic," Liz said, looking overjoyed at the idea of sitting with Michael like they were on a date. Then she could tell him all about what she'd heard from Justy. She took Michael's hand, pulling him into the elevator. Alicia followed right behind them, looking very happy with the situation. Liz also couldn't help noticing the nurses looking at the three of them with smiles of either encouragement, or happiness.

"I think we had a bit of an audience there," Liz said as the doors to the elevator closed. "But I didn't want one for this." She quickly leaned in and kissed Michael, still being careful to hold the smoothies upright. Michael smiled and kissed her back.

When they broke the kiss, Liz seemed more lighthearted than before, and she had a spring in her step when they got off the elevator. They didn't say much while they walked to the main fountain plaza of the city. They just enjoyed each other's company. The plaza was surprisingly empty, so they were able to send their teams out without issue, and the team began enjoying their smoothies almost cutely.

"So, how was training today?" Michael asked Liz.

"It was really productive," Liz said. "I think Roselia is about ready for purification. And it should be perfect timing, since we're probably going to need to go back home for a few days."

"Why's that?" Michael asked.

"Well, Justy said that there's some suspicious people in the desert north of here. He also said that the area is past some very deep, loose sand. We won't be able to pass with the scooter the way it is now," Liz said.

"Oh…so we need to go get the scooter modified?" Michael asked.

Liz nodded. "Unless you want to dig the wheels out of sand dunes," she said. "But I won't help if you do that." She winked playfully.

"Well, Perr should be happy to see us. And we can use the Purify Chamber while we're home. But we can't take too long for this hiatus."

"I know, but we can still enjoy the recovery time," Liz said. "Besides, if we waste time when it could be avoided is the definition of idiocy

"Okay, that's a good point," Michael said as he enjoyed his smoothie. Alicia smiled as she watched the two, smiling as she sipped her own smoothie, loving the flavors.

 _You know, I haven't seen your home yet. I'd love to go see the HQ Lab,_ Alicia said.

"Then it's settled. We'll call the Parts Shop and get the process started, then call home and get a ride back if it's needed," Michael said as most of the Pokémon finished their drinks. Only Nick, Alicia, and Titania were left to finish. Liz and Michael were still just taking their time, since it was still early in the day. They could probably even take their time on the road.

Just as they were about to start walking to the scooter, Michael's phone began to ring. He pulled it out and saw it was an incoming video call from Nett at ONBS. He answered the call, getting a view of Nett's office, with both an older man and a young girl behind him. "Hey, Michael, how's it going? You out of the hospital now?"

"Yeah, just got out this morning, about to get my scooter adapted for traveling into the desert," Michael said. "What's going on with you?"

"Well, these two behind me asked if we could help find a Pokémon that was supposed to be on the Libra. They said it was one of the only Pokémon that came from Sinnoh. According to them, it's a Bonsly," Nett said.

"Oh, the cute little Pokémon that evolves into Sudowoodo?" Liz asked with a smile. "I would love to help find that adorable baby."

Nett chuckled. "Well, to help with the task, I did some calculations. I had some people interview the crew of the Libra, and based on the direction they claimed the ship went when it went missing, I managed to calculate possible paths, assuming the ship didn't change directions, I think I figured out where the ship would've gone. Want me to send the map to you guys?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Michael said eagerly. "We'll get it taken care of."

"Glad to hear it. I'll send it within the hour. Just let me know when your scooter is ready."

"It may be a day before then," Liz said. "But we will keep you guys up to date. Just don't make a news story about us both being out of the hospital until we're ready."

"Of course. See you all later," Nett said as he hung up.

Without any other issues, Michael had Alicia go back to her Pokéball before getting on the scooter, with Liz sitting on the back, holding onto Michael as he drove out of the city.

As they got onto the highway, a police car pulled up alongside them, rolling their windows down. One officer leaned toward them. "Mr. Orison, right? Where are you driving?"

Michael looked over at them. "Gateon Port. Why do you ask?"

"Follow us. We'll escort you there!" the officer said, pulling ahead of the scooter, switching on their lights, and some forward-facing sirens. Like a hive mind, all the cars began to move to the side, letting the car and scooter pass.

* * *

"Keep up the voltage, we don't want this one breaking free again! Last time it killed five people before we got it to " Gorigan said with authority as his team continued assaulting the Pokémon inside with the corrupting energy, including a fog that was only used to corrupt the most powerful of Pokémon. Suddenly, a brilliant beam of light erupted from the haze, hitting the incredibly strong glass that Gorigan and his team of technicians were behind. It blazed brightly for almost a minute before stopping, the window gaining a slight glow for a moment, due to the extreme heat.

"Sir, we need to tranquilize it now, or we'll be in danger," one of the technicians said.

"Get your gas masks on, and just keep going. We're too close to give up now, and Ramoray even said that our window to produce more Shadow Pokémon is closed. And who knows how much longer it will be before Orison and Hanz find these headquarters," Gorigan said with a glint of rage in his eyes.

"Alright, then let's increase the power as high as we can without killing the asset," one of the female technicians said as they all donned sophisticated gas masks. They then began turning knobs and pushing levers forward, increasing the power of the energy, and the potency of the fog. An incredibly powerful bellow sounded, shaking the room enough to throw Gorigan off-balance briefly. He righted himself as the fog cleared enough for him to make direct eye-contact with the powerful Dragonite bound in the center of the room, the chains made from an incredibly strong tungsten alloy. The Pokémon's eyes weren't just pained, they were full of pure rage. Moments later, the eyes went blank, lifeless, and emotionless as the shadow energy took over.

The technicians began to sigh in relief. "It's done," one of them said.

"Keep it restrained down here. Only enter the room to feed it. We still have to go to the Libra and get the final Pokémon from the ship, and I need to report to the Grand Master. Take the next three days off from making more Shadow Pokémon until we get more assets to turn," Gorigan said, pulling out his manifest of all the Shadow Pokémon Cipher had in their possession. The ones that had been snagged were crossed out with a red line, along with an indicator of who snagged the Pokémon.

"Any other orders, sir?" one of the technicians asked.

"Nothing else that would concern you lot. Enjoy your light workload for the next couple days," Gorigan said as he left the room. The technicians followed him out shortly after, except for one.

"Sorry, Dragonite…maybe Orison or Hanz will save you," he said before heading out of the room.

* * *

Thanks to the escort, Michael and Liz arrived at Gateon within two hours, rather than the expected three, much to Alicia's relief. _So, where is the shop we're going to?_

"It's under the big, rotating metallic statue," Michael said. "Right by the docks."

 _Huh…not even Mauville is that showy with its decorations._

Liz giggled. "Just don't tell Makin or Perr that. They built it themselves."

 _Well, you just love taking the fun out of everything,_ Alicia said with some playful sass in her voice. With another mirthful laugh, the three walked over to the shop.

As soon as the door opened, they were greeted by a surprising sight. Perr was sitting at the counter with a group of people, all watching a replay of the live broadcast of Michael's battle with Snattle, bowls of snacks around the room as people watched. It was just at the point when Alicia was about to evolve. As soon as she started glowing on the screen, the group began cheering. "Yeah, Cloud-Guy is screwed now!" one of them said. That was when Michael noticed there was a web camera recording, and a computer showing Festival Plaza's PokéTube, with the scene in the shop being live-streamed with half the screen showing the battle. In the half that showed the group, Michael, Liz, and Alicia were all visible. The group, however, wasn't paying attention to the computer as much as they were looking at the battle on the big screen.

 _Should we say something, or just let the stream's chat tell them we're in the room?_ Alicia asked, her telepathy only communicating with Michael and Liz.

 _Let's wait and see how long it takes them to notice,_ Michael said with a smirk.

"Guys, you don't get more intense battles than this outside of those involving Champions, Elite Four, or Champion-hopefuls. Honestly, Wes might have a run for his money soon, if Michael keeps improving," Perr said with a grin.

 _I wonder how many people are watching this reaction live stream,_ Liz asked. _Not too many people outside of Orre would know about what's happening here anyway._

 _Unless my family has discussed it with the media,_ Alicia said.

One of the girls of the group started crying softly at the scene as Alicia finished the battle, only to start desperately healing Michael.

 _Alicia, I really need to thank you a lot more for saving my life like that. Once this is over, I'll repay you,_ Michael said softly. Alicia just smiled in response.

The girl who had started crying then reached for a box of tissues to wipe her eyes, likely to save her make-up. As she leaned forward, she saw the chat for the livestream exploding with activity. "Hey, Perr, chat's trying to get our attention about some-…" she stopped as she looked at their half of the screen, turning back to the entrance, seeing the trio in the shop with them. The fangirling started almost immediately as she clamored over the back of the couch. "Oh, my Arceus! You're actually here! I can't believe I actually get to meet you! And you look so healthy now!" she said, trying to not cry from happiness.

Perr got up. "Michael, good to see you up and kicking!" he said, giving both Michael and Liz a handshake. "And you must be Alicia. It's a pleasure to have you all back in the shop." He spoke loud enough for the camera to pick up what he was saying.

"Well, it's good to not be in a hospital bed," Michael said. "But I actually came to see if you can help modify my ride."

"Oh? What modifications are you making to her?" Perr asked.

"I'm planning on going over sand dunes in the desert north of Phenac. Got anything for that?"

Perr groaned a bit. "Hover technology would work, but the old man is the one who can install it in a heartbeat. He's at Dr. Kaminko's lab right now."

"Well, that's not too far off. Shouldn't be more than an hour to get there and back," Liz said.

"Yeah, but Chobin might make a fuss when we get there…like confusing us for burglars," Michael said.

 _Wait, who are you guy's talking about?_ Alicia asked.

"Oh, you'll see when we get there," Michael said. He nodded to Perr. "We'll go get him for you. How much will the modifications cost?"

"Well, normally they'd be worth about ten thousand, but I think we can cut that price for you. It'll be up to the old man how much to knock off the price," Perr said.

"Well, we'll talk about that when we're back with Makin," Liz said with a smile.

"Agreed," Perr said. "I'd ask if you'd like to take some time to watch the battle, but you guys kind of lived it."

 _Yeah…Michael's burns only just finished healing, it's a bit of a fresh memory,_ Alicia said, trying to make sure the camera picked up what she said.

"Well, let's get moving," Liz said. "I don't want to spend too much time at that weird lab."

* * *

As expected, the drive took less than thirty minutes to get to the Tudor-style lab in the middle of the haunted woods. The fountain was still completely dried, and the plants were all dead in the courtyard. "I think Chobin might not be doing a good job keeping this place looking vibrant," Liz said as they approached the front door.

"HOLD IT BURGLARS!" said a familiar voice. Michael rolled his eyes harder than he'd done in his entire life to that point. "You will not burgle this lab!" The short, dark-haired assistant to Dr. Kaminko.

"Chobin…do you not remember us?" Liz asked.

"You are not anybody Chobin knows. Chobin may have just taken part in the testing of the genius Dr. Kaminko's Amnesia Inducer, but that is irrelevant. Now, time to battle, burglar!" Chobin pulled out two Pokéballs, ready to battle.

"Michael, mind if I take this battle?" Liz asked. "You battled him last time. I want a shot."

"Sounds good to me. I don't mind giving you an easy opponent," Michael said.

"CHOBIN IS RIGHT HERE!" the small man cried out, his voice cracking. "And just for that, Chobin will not hold back. He will be using TWO Pokémon this time."

Michael just sat on the edge of the fountain behind him, watching with some amusement as Chobin sent out a Sunkern and a Magikarp. The poor fish was flopping on the ground pathetically, trying to find water. "Chobin, for fuck's sake, why are you sending out a water-type that can't breathe on land?"

"Chobin knows what he is doing. You will not confuse him with your nonsense. Fish need air to breathe," Chobin said.

Liz just sighed as she sent out Vixen and Roselia. The Shadow Pokémon looked much sweeter and happier than before, which gave Michael a sense that it was close to being purified. That sense was confirmed when his Battle Monitor showed the gauge for Roselia as being almost zero.

"Roselia, use Shadow Wave. Vixen, Heat Wave. Finish this quickly," Liz said with some boredom in her voice. The two Pokémon, both faster than the seedpod and fish, fired their attacks, hitting their marks almost perfectly. Both of Chobin's Pokémon passed out as they were hit twice in quick succession, getting recalled to their Pokéballs.

Chobin began to stomp his feet, like a child throwing a tantrum. "NONONONO! Chobin will NOT accept this. He may have lost but you will not get past Chobin." As he spoke, the door to the lab opened.

"What is all this racket out here?" Dr. Kaminko yelled. "Chobin, I thought I told you I was doing important research!"

"Sir, Chobin understands. He apologizes, but there are these two burglars out here. Chobin was doing his best to stop them."

"Burglars?" Dr. Kaminko looked over at Michael and Liz. "Chobin, these are Michael and Liz. You've met them. You even know Michael's little sister, Jovi. Are you still under the effects of the Amnesia Inducer?"

Chobin looked a bit sheepish. "Chobin has had a foggy memory since the experiment."

"I see…then I apologize. I'm not going to be testing those devices on you anymore," Dr. Kaminko said. "But…there is one thing I wish to test with which you can help me. Michael and Liz, would you be inclined to assisting with a field test of one of my proudest creations?"

"That depends on what you're testing," Michael said. Liz nodded in agreement.

"It's a mech designed to strengthen Pokémon. It was modeled after the legendary captured by the Hoenn Champion," Dr. Kaminko said. "The test is simply to battle it, and see if it out-performs a normal trainer in battle."

"Oh, that sounds interesting," Liz said. "I'd be happy to do it."

"Wait, Liz, I'm still fresh out of the hospital. I want to battle too," Michael said.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors?" Liz said.

 _Or…maybe I could second Michael's side. I haven't battled in a while. I need to knock off some rust,_ Alicia said as she let herself out of her Pokéball, a bit irate that Michael hadn't let her out yet.

"Oh, alright, I guess I can let you take this one. But only for my favorite Gardevoir," Liz said.

Alicia smiled, none of them noticing as Chobin walked into the lab with an eager look on his face. "Good. Looks like Chobin will be getting it set up. Are you ready to face it?"

 _You mean a Robot Groudon?_ Alicia asked, having heard the conversation earlier.

"What? How did you guess?" Dr. Kaminko asked incredulously.

 _My name is Alicia Maple,_ she said in response. _I'm Gwen's daughter._

Dr. Kaminko's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, you must tell me all about the alien species that Brendan managed to catch! What's its name?"

 _You mean Deoxys? Professor Birch calls it the DNA Pokémon. It's relatively apprehensive around others. That's likely due to it being from another planet. Otherwise, it acts like any other Pokémon._

"Hmm…that is intriguing," Dr. Kaminko said, stopping what he was going to say when he heard a whirring coming from the fountain. "Seems Chobin got it ready faster than expected. When you have time, I'd love to talk more with you."

Alicia nodded as she turned to the fountain, seeing Michael and Liz watching with either awe, or disbelief as a clunky, short mechanical Groudon was raised into view on a platform. It looked like the body was taken off of the cabin of a backhoe, with a basic head that could barely turn on a rudimentary axle, and a tail that looked like it was held on with duct tape. There were two arms that looked relatively sleek, but it still wasn't much better than the rest. On the front, there was a seat with levers for control, like a backhoe would have.

"Chobin has prepared the Robo-Groudon as requested," Chobin said from the cabin. "And now he shall take on these non-burglars."

Michael watched as Chobin had the Robo-Groudon throw two Pokéballs, sending out a Gyarados, and a Sunflora. He smirked. "I have counters to both of those," he said with confidence. "Nick, Boreas, come out!" The Jolteon and Spheal came out, eager to battle, Boreas looking particularly energetic.

"Chobin will start this battle. Sunflora, use Seed Bomb. Gyarados use Water Pulse. Target whoever you'd like!"

"Nick, Thunderbolt on Gyarados. Boreas, use Ice Beam on Sunflora," Michael said. Nick moved first, firing a spiral of electricity at Gyarados. The massive sea serpent, which was partially coiled on the ground, rearing his head back to fire three rings of water at near supersonic speeds. The Thunderbolt branched off three times as it passed through the center of the rings, each small branch hitting a ring and making it immediately evaporate, before hitting Gyarados on the crown-like crest. The Pokémon cried out and almost immediately passed out.

On the other side of the field, Sunflora had gathered energy into a brown seed the size of a grapefruit, throwing it at Boreas like a baseball. Boreas just rolled to the side casually, letting the seed hit the ground beside him, making a crack in some of the stone. He then quickly fired a stream of chilling energy at the sunflower Pokémon. The shot hit the Pokémon, almost freezing it. As it did, the control panel within the Robo Groudon sparked and smoke poured out of the mouth.

"NO, why did it fail?" Chobin asked, freaking out as he got out of the robot, looking at all the pieces. "It should be working flawlessly!"

Dr. Kaminko just sighed. "It seems the Robo-Groudon was a failure. It was completely outmatched. Perhaps it can never be a substitute for proper training," he said. "Thanks to you all for the help," Dr. Kaminko said. Alicia, however, looked a bit annoyed.

 _Michael, I wanted to battle,_ Alicia said privately. _Why didn't you let me go in?_

 _Sorry, but it was Chobin. You saw how quickly it was over. That wouldn't have satisfied you, right?_ Michael asked.

Alicia sighed. _Yeah…I hate to admit that you're right. None of you Pokémon would be too satisfied._

 _We'll have plenty of battles soon. I think it's better that we don't overdo it now. We don't even know what Cipher has been doing this whole time._

"Chobin, I am officially ending the Robo-Pokémon projects. I'm sorry, but could you please disassemble or get rid of the Robo-Groudon and Robo-Kyogre," Dr. Kaminko said.

Chobin looked dismayed. "Sir, Chobin wishes to keep the Robo-Groudon. He thinks it could become much greater with hard work and better parts."

Dr. Kaminko sighed. "So be it. You may work on it," he said.

"Hey, Dr. Kaminko, we're actually here to get Makin. Is he here?" Liz asked.

"Makin? He's in the lab," Dr. Kaminko said.

"Chobin saw him was in the basement with the incomplete Robo-Kyogre," Chobin said.

Dr. Kaminko turned to Michael and Liz. "You two and your Pokémon may enter my lab's basement via the back elevator. I usually keep it off-limits to anybody unqualified, but I shall make an exception for you." He then went inside to his office, looking a bit depressed. "So many months wasted…"

"Thank you, Doctor," Michael said. "We'll be in and out without trouble."

Michael and Liz went inside the lab, moving quickly to the main office, where they found the door to the elevator. The descent took less than a minute, and brought them to a garage-like area, with platforms, and boat that looked astonishingly like Kyogre. Makin was by the vehicle, looking inquisitive. "It'd be such a shame to just toss this thing out. With the right work, it could…" He noticed the newcomers to the room as he trailed off. "Oh, Mr. Orison, Miss Hanz, and Miss Maple, great to see you all. Dr. Kaminko radioed down just a bit ago saying that he was cancelling the project of Robo-Kyogre…personally seems like a shame to me."

Michael looked at the machine, and he had to agree that it was actually quite an impressive design. The materials used were also clearly superior to those used for Robo-Groudon. "Yeah, it would be. Maybe you could take over the project. It could be useful for ocean exploration with the right alterations."

Makin nodded. "That it might," he said. "So, what can I help you with? Dr. Kaminko said you'd come here for me."

"Yeah, Perr asked me to come get you. My scooter needs some modifications so I can go into the desert north of Phenac City. He said he needed your help with something like that."

"Oh, he most certainly does need my help. He knows the parts to making a hover-carrier device, but he's still learning the positioning of each component. Tell you what, I'll get this Robo-Kyogre loaded into my truck, then we'll head to Gateon Port to prepare your scooter. Deal?"

Liz nodded. "Need help with the loading?"

"This thing probably weighs more than five tons, so it'll be done with machinery. I may need you to help guide it into the truck, but that's about all it'll need."

 _Sounds like a plan_ , Alicia said.

Makin smiled kindly. "You sound like your mother does in her interviews. You have a beautiful voice, Alicia," he said. Alicia blushed a bit at the compliment.

 _Thank you. You're too kind,_ she said.

* * *

After about 20 minutes of working to load up the Robo-Kyogre, then a thirty-five-minute drive back to Gateon Port, they were back in the Part Shop. Makin had already begun working on Michael's scooter in the garage, taking off the wheels to prepare for their replacements. Perr was following the blueprints Makin had printed for him, putting the parts together slowly, but surely with Makin watching over his work.

"Alright, when we get the upgrades done, we'll head to Agate Village to purify any Shadow Pokémon with us that need it, then we head to the desert to try and find whatever is so interesting out there," Michael said.

"Right. Roselia is just about ready, though…I kind of already purified a lot of the Pokémon in the Chamber while you were in the hospital," Liz said.

 _Well, at least you weren't sitting on your laurels. I'm certain Cipher wasn't just resting this whole time we've been out, so even smaller wins like those will be important._

"Yeah, and the HQ lab now has about twenty total Pokémon added to their roster. They're also making training a mandatory session for the staff with Pokémon should there be another Cipher attack," Liz said.

"Perfect. I just kind of wish more of the Pokémon we purify decided to help us battle."

 _Actually…I don't blame them. Not after what they did to turn us…_ Alicia said, shuddering from the memory. _I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to stay as far away from Cipher as possible._

Michael looked at Alicia, sensing that her vague description was intentional. "Hey, if you ever want to talk about it, we're here for you," he said. Liz sat beside Alicia, hugging her from the side.

"You'll never go through that again," she said comfortingly. "We promise to keep you safe."

Alicia smiled and hugged Liz back. _And I'll keep you two from getting hurt again,_ she said.

Michael joined in with the embrace. "Then we all promise to keep each other safe, and stop other Pokémon from going through that again."

In that moment, they all felt like beating Cipher wouldn't be so difficult. They just needed to work together.

In that moment, they didn't realize just how wrong they were.

* * *

 **Thank you all for being so patient with me these past 2 months. I got a new job with 72-hour work weeks, and have not had much time to write. I will try to improve my writing schedule by using my breaks (they're pretty long in the industry, so it should be doable).**

 **Anyway, as usual, please leave a review to let me know what you liked and what you didn't like. I'm always looking to improve, and your feedback helps immensely.**

 **Until next time (hopefully nowhere near as long of a wait) ~ jmoul18.**


	22. Chapter 22 - The Wake of Destruction

**There have been a few requests for me to start with a quick list of the Pokémon on each team. So, here's the list. I'll update it with each new Shadow Pokémon they choose to purify without the Chamber, and with each evolution as needed**

 **Michael:**

 **Jolteon (Nick)**

 **Gardevoir (Alicia)**

 **Houndoom (Erebus)**

 **Spheal (Boreas)**

 **Breloom (Ceres)**

 **Trapinch (Sarah)**

 **Liz:**

 **Sylveon (Titania)**

 **Teddiursa (Artemis)**

 **Flaaffy (Voltaire)**

 **Vulpix (Vixen)**

 **Roselia (Not purified yet)**

 **Duskull (Wraith)**

 _The Wake of Destruction_

Back in Littleroot, May and Brendan had just come home from the doctor. May was particularly giddy as they drove. "We're having a boy this time," she said for the fifth time since she got into the car. "Selena's going to have a baby brother."

Brendan kept smiling as they got into the house. "You know, we'll need a name. Any ideas?" he said.

"No, I'm just so happy that we're going to have a second baby. Just no more after this one, right?" May said. "We agreed to two kids."

"Yeah, I agree," Brendan said, their presence catching Gwen's attention.

 _So, we have another man in the house?_ She asked as she approached, Selena's little feet thundering down the stairs excitedly.

"Yeah, it's going to be a boy," May said, showing Gwen the ultrasound pictures. "He's already looking like Brendan."

As she spoke, the thumping of little feet echoed through the house as Selena ran to greet her parents. "Mommy, Daddy!" she called out happily, coming into view. May smiled and picked up Selena gracefully. Brendan smiled softly, falling even deeper in love with May as she held both of their children.

 _So, you're going to have a little boy. I wonder how Selena will take it,_ Gwen said, smiling at the picture in her hand. _You might have your kids taking over one of the family titles._

 _Who knows, maybe one will go into researching Pokémon instead. Ed has been saying that he'd like to teach the first ever Professor Maple,_ Brendan said. That moment was when the video phone began to ring.

"Oh, who's calling?" May asked, turning to the screen.

"It's from Orre. It's probably Alicia!" Brendan said. He was promptly pushed aside by Gwen, who answered the phone eagerly.

Even though the Maples had watched Michael's battle with Snattle on Festival Plaza, Gwen still gasped. _You look so beautiful,_ she said, starting to tear up immediately. _I swear, you were only a Kirlia for a week._

 _Aww, thanks, Mom. I hope I'm not calling at a bad time. Michael is just getting his scooter adjusted so we can get past some sand dunes for our next mission,_ Alicia said with a smile.

"There's never a bad time for you to call," Brendan said. "Plus, we actually have some news. May is pregnant again. We just found out it'll be a boy." Alicia noticed Selena was looking a bit confused, having never heard the term before.

 _That's good,_ Alicia said, almost dismissively before she fully registered what had been said. _Wait, seriously? Congratulations!_

Michael and Liz both perked up as Alicia got excited, only having heard part of the conversation. "Wait…did we just hear that right?" Liz asked, getting up and joining Alicia, followed closely by Michael. "A new baby Maple is on the way?"

May smiled as she joined them. "Yeah, the doctors confirmed it today," she said. "But, enough about us. Michael, you're looking very healthy now. Are you feeling any better?"

Michael shrugged. "I'm still sore, and I'm a bit out of it. Otherwise, I'm okay…and ready to pay Cipher back tenfold."

Brendan chuckled. "Sounds a bit familiar. Just do yourselves a favor, and keep each other safe," he said.

"Yeah, getting kidnapped is not fun, and it makes your partner act rashly to get you back," May said.

"I won't let it happen, I can't even imagine how I'd react if Cipher took Liz," Michael said.

 _Or Alicia, right?_ Gwen asked, her tone leaving no room for disagreement.

"Of course," Michael said, sounding a bit shaky as he realized the world's most famous Gardevoir had just threatened him without really saying anything.

 _Good. By the way, how are your teams coming along?_

Liz perked up at the chance to talk about her Pokémon. "They're doing really well, and we've purified nearly all the Shadow Pokémon we've captured. Titania and Nick are still as deep in love as ever, most of our teams have evolved since they were purified, and they've gotten some training in the Prestige Precept Center recently," she said with a grin.

"Interesting to hear. I may need to battle with one of you once the travel ban for the Orre region is lifted," Brendan said. "By the way, I spoke to Dr. Krane. He told me about the region, and about Mt. Battle. I recommend using that training facility as often as possible. The more you train, the better prepared you will be."

Michael nodded. "I was intending to go there eventually. However, I've been out of commission for three weeks. I need to make up for lost time," he said.

"Just remember to work efficiently. Don't rush in headfirst. It didn't work with Team Magma or Team Aqua for us. I doubt it will work with Cipher based on their reputation," Brendan said. "Steven Stone once gave me similar advice when I battled the Mossdeep Gym. I was rushing into a battle when I wasn't 100% ready. Don't let yourselves fall victim to that mentality.

Michael nodded. "We'll be careful. We can't afford to not win against Cipher."

 _Please keep that promise,_ Gwen said.

As she said that, a door could be heard opening. "Michael, your scooter is ready," an unfamiliar voice said, not seeing the screen.

"Thanks, we'll be right there, Perr," Michael said, turning back to the screen. "Looks like we need to get going."

 _Sorry we couldn't talk longer, Mom,_ Alicia said. _I'll call next time I get the chance._

 _Don't worry. I'm happy to hear from you whenever you call. Just stay safe, and be sure you're still able to call again,_ Gwen said.

With that, the Maples said their goodbyes, and ended the call. As soon as the call ended, Selena spoke up. "Mommy, what does 'pregnant' mean?"

May inhaled a bit sharply, though Selena didn't really notice. "Well, sweetie, it basically means you're going to be a big sister," she said, keeping it simple. She wasn't trying to shelter Selena, but the girl was still only five. She could go a little longer without getting the talk. _Besides, I might be able to make that Brendan's job when the time comes,_ she thought. _Wait...who am I kidding?_

Selena still looked confused, but excited as well. She'd met a few kids at preschool who had siblings, and they seemed to have fun with them. However, she didn't say much, as her questions increased the more she thought about it.

"Well, we should probably make dinner," Brendan said. "Then, I think we should go get ice cream." Selena's face lit up, as she pushed all her questions out of her mind at the mention of the frozen treat.

 _Well, you're awfully good at buying your way out of an awkward situation with your kid,_ Gwen teased playfully in a private link with Brendan and May.

Brendan just smiled at Gwen. _We're still celebrating. Might as well use it to buy her silence._ May stifled a giggle, falling deeper in love with the father of her children.

* * *

"Time for a test run," Michael said, getting onto the scooter, starting the engine. The hover pads lit up and the scooter lifted off the ground, without being affected by his weight. "Liz, want to hop on for this?"

"Sure," she says with a smile, getting onto the seat with Michael, the scooter didn't even shift as she boarded. Michael revved the engine slowly, getting a feel for how fast the new propulsion moved them, glad to see that it was just a little faster than when it had wheels. It was easier to control, and stopping was almost effortless as they glided back to the shop entrance.

"So, how does it feel?" Perr asked.

"It's running better than ever," Michael said. "It's even better than when I got it."

"Excellent. We'll send the bill to the HQ Lab. You guys go take care of Cipher," Perr said. Alicia got onto the bike behind Liz, holding tightly as she kept herself weightless. "Oh, and there's now a mini-fridge in the seats, if you want to use it."

 _Are…are you serious?_ Alicia asked.

Makin laughed. "No. That'd be way too expensive, and too heavy," he said. "We just wanted to mess with you."

"Well, it wouldn't be too difficult to add to a bigger vehicle. A car might work," Michael said before turning the scooter toward the exits of Gateon Port. "But, that's something for the professionals to make happen. See you guys later!"

Perr smirked as they drove away. "So, that Robo-Kyogre you brought home…"

"I have some ideas for it," Makin said. "Want to start the blue prints for a finished product?"

"Sure. It'll be awesome," Perr said.

* * *

Michael drove through the port briefly before they all saw three familiar faces. They pulled to a stop at the crosswalk where the trio was waiting.

"Ohohoho, if I recall correctly, you're Mr. Michael Orison, Miss Elizabeth Hanz, and Alicia Maple. Am I correct?" the short, smiling old man asked kindly.

"And you're Mr. Verich, right?" Michael asked. "As well as Ardos and Eldes."

Mr. Verich smiled widely, almost unsettling Alicia. "Ohoho, the new saviors of Orre remember that encounter, do they? I'm flattered," he said. "I also saw that moving battle in Phenac City. I must admit, you've definitely caught my attention as a trainer."

"Oh, thank you," Michael said.

"Have you both recovered well enough?" he asked.

"Yeah, we've never felt better," Liz said, trying to hide that she was feeling uncomfortable with two of the three men. "I even got to train with Justy for a bit."

"I see," Mr. Verich said, slightly opening his eyes. Michael could've sworn he saw yellow in the man's irises, but realized he must be seeing things. "Well, this has been a nice chat, but I must be going. But know that I will be watching both of you very closely."

With that, Mr. Verich left with Ardos close on his heels. Eldes, however, waited for a moment as he locked eyes with Michael. Wordlessly, he nodded in a show of respect before leaving to catch up to his boss.

Michael slowly started driving again. "That was…unsettling."

 _I got mixed vibes from that group…_ Alicia said. _I thought I recognized the old man's voice…but it sounded too kind compared to what I heard before._

"Before as in…?" Liz asked.

 _Like when I was being held by Cipher…_ she said.

Michael locked eyes with Liz briefly, not really wanting to know the implications of what Alicia just said.

* * *

The group traveled briefly to Agate Village, heading to the Relic Stone. Alicia was enthralled in the town's liveliness and how much fun people seemed to be having. The people were mostly elderly, with a few younger people mixed in, but they all seemed so energetic. _They're so blissful._

Michael looked at her. "Gives you an idea of what we're fighting for. It's no secret that Cipher wants to rule through fear. If we let them have their way, it's unlikely anybody will be allowed to so much as smile like this anymore."

Alicia nodded. _I know that better than anybody,_ she said as they passed the cafés. _I may need to sample some drinks from those places when we have the free time._

Liz smiled. "I second that, Alicia. You have no idea how much I love coffee."

Alicia made a bit of a grimacing face. _Sorry, but yuck. I like tea better,_ she said.

Liz gave the Gardevoir a look of what almost looked like fury. "Did you just say yuck to coffee?" she asked.

 _Yeah,_ Alicia said, looking back. _What's it to you?_

Liz kept up the face for a moment longer then immediately softened and shrugged. "Oh well, to each their own. I can't force you to be right," she teased.

Alicia giggled. _You are way too convincing with that. I thought you were actually mad there."_

Michael laughed a bit, always enjoying the lighthearted atmosphere when it came up. After Phenac City, Michael had already had his fill of life-threatening situations. But he knew that it wouldn't be the last one.

They got to the cave of the Relic Stone soon after their talk. _So, this is for Roselia, right? Wraith was purified while Michael was in the hospital, and Liz went to the HQ Lab to purify some of the Pokémon in the chamber?_

"Pretty much, yes," Liz said as they walked into the brightly lit caverns, seeing the light illuminate the verdant roots, mosses, and flowers around them. Alicia looked around with joy. The vibrant area just filled her with warmth and comfort. The Relic Stone's aura might have been the cause of that emotion, but she didn't mind. Being in an area where a Celebi was blessing nature was something very few people got to enjoy.

They got to the stone, and Liz let out the Roselia. "Well, let's get you back to normal. You deserve to truly be happy." The brunette's warm smile was enough to get the Roselia to cooperate. They both touched the stone, and a flash of green light swirled out from the rock and into the small flower Pokémon. Roselia seemed to breathe deeply, enjoying the energy before it entered her body, purging the Shadow energy and glittering as it spiraled out. Roselia sighed and cooed, her expression toward Liz was one of care and love.

Liz just picked up the small Pokémon, hugging it tightly. "You're welcome. I'm glad to help."

Roselia then looked at Alicia, cooing again. _Sure, I'll tell them,_ Alicia said. _She wants to tell you her name. This is Lilith. She also wants to help you guys however she can to beat Cipher._

"Wow, you're really smart," Liz said. "But I guess that a great battler like you would need to be smart." Lilith blushed a bit, her cheeks looking greener as she did.

 _We're about to go investigate a lead on Cipher. You interested?_ Alicia asked.

Lilith nodded her thorny head eagerly, getting a giggle from Liz. "Perfect. Let's get going," she said, recalling the rose Pokémon.

* * *

"Sir, we've tracked Orison," a man in a red shirt with headphones and a pair of silver sunglasses. "He's going toward the desert north of Phenac. I'm guessing he's going toward where the Libra crashed."

A hulk of a man with rippling muscles nodded, making his expertly-trimmed pencil-thin handlebar mustache and long eyebrows styled to stand a good foot over his shaved head wave slightly. "Excellent. Bring me their snag machines. Team Snagem will rise to greatness again," he said.

"Roger. The Sleep Powder Method?" the smaller man asked.

"I trust your judgement, Wakin," the boss said. "You've shown that you're a better asset to Snagem than _he_ ever was." He spoke with clear disdain for the unnamed man, looking out the only window of his office to see the massive hole that had been in the base for nearly ten years now. "Now, make it happen."

* * *

As they drove, Alicia was deeply enjoying the open air blowing through her hair. It reminded her of when she went up to the bow of the Libra at sunset the first night. This time, she was with people she loved, and she was enjoying every second.

 _Still…was coming to Orre really the right way to go?_ Alicia asked herself. _Selena and I would have been able to travel in Hoenn…and there's no doubt we'd have an unstoppable bond._

 _Seems the evil bitch has feelings of home now?_ Alicia heard in her mind.

 _No…I don't have time for you go away!_ Alicia said, knowing the voice of her shadow-self all too well now.

 _Too bad. I certainly have time for you,_ the dark Alicia said, almost yanking Alicia's consciousness into her mental world. Alicia blinked as she saw the mirrored version of herself, surrounded by swirling Shadow Aura, her red eyes now glowing in a more demented expression. _Now, you're stuck here until I let you out. You can't even stop me from attacking your friends while you're in here._

 _No, don't you dare!_ Alicia said, sounding brave, but feeling terrified. _Besides, this is my body. You're nothing by a thought. A projection of PTS-_ she gasped, cutting short as the specter seemed to move closer to her like a glitching video game character, coming so close Alicia could feel the Shadow aura brush against her skin.

 _You think I'm incapable? I can take control of you at any moment,_ she said, projecting Alicia's physical face, showing her blank, lifeless eyes as she rode with Michael and Liz. _I could even make you let go and fly off. They're going fast enough that it would kill you._ Alicia tried to recoil, her mind reeling in fear. _I'm not just a projection, and you know it. I am the last remnants of your Shadow Self. I will never let you go. Show any weakness, and I will take over again. There's no PTSD that could compare to me._

Alicia started to get angry. _No…you're not powerful. You're a coward!_

 _Tch, call it what you want. I'm never going away!_

Alicia's eyes lit up. _No. I am in control of this body. You're just a manifestation of my trauma. You have no control over me unless I let you. You can only exist when I have doubts!_

 _Oh? And are you just going to click your heels and say "There's no place like home" to dispel me?_

 _I'll do this,_ Alicia said, putting her hand up and generating a cage of energy, similar to the one she'd been trapped in as a Shadow Pokémon.

Her dark half looked around and smirked. _You'll need to constantly put in energy to maintain this. I'll just build up power until you can't stop me…and I'll wait until the worst possible time to come out. You and Michael will never defeat Cipher while I'm around._

Alicia just glared for a moment, took a breath, and returned to her conscious mind. _Hey, are we getting close?_ she asked Michael.

"Fifteen minutes. We're about to get off the highway and into the desert. Will you be okay?" Michael said.

Alicia nodded. _I'll be fine. I'm just feeling a bit thirsty,_ she said, trying to avoid worrying her friends.

"We'll give you some water as soon as we find our destination," Michael said. "Sound good?"

 _Yeah, it's nothing pressing. But you guys need to keep me out whenever we're driving. This is so much fun!_

Michael smiled. "Victoria seems to have another fan!"

 _Victoria?_ Alicia said.

"The dumb name he gave the scooter," Liz said, sounding embarrassed.

 _…Really?_ Alicia said with disappointment in her voice.

"Screw both of you, she's my ride!" Michael said.

Alicia just sighed, losing some faith in her trainer, but feeling amused.

 _Too bad he didn't name it after me,_ Liz thought, not realizing that Alicia was listening.

 _Ummm…_ Alicia said with a deep blush. Liz blushed just as deeply as she heard Alicia.

 _You heard…nothing,_ she said.

 _Yeah, no worries. Not gonna bring it up…_ Alicia said.

They got off the highway, going to an off-road ramp toward the sand dunes. "Keep your eyes open," Michael said. "We need to find a ship in the middle of sand dunes." He drove through the desert, seeing nothing for a few miles.

 _There! To the northeast. You can see the red hull,_ Alicia said, pointing. Michael followed her direction, seeing a red peak getting closer.

"Good eye," Liz said enthusiastically as Michael drove them closer to the ship. As they got closer, Michael saw an increasing amount of debris in the sand, ranging from fiberglass from the body, to massive parts of the engine. It wasn't until Michael saw the enormous hole in the side, easily big enough for a semi-truck to pass through.

"What could be strong enough to carry a ship this massive so far?" Liz asked.

 _I saw massive wings…but that's all I can remember,_ Alicia said. _I barely remember anything from that night._

Michael parked the scooter near the breach, behind pieces of the debris so as to keep it hidden from Cipher just in case the organization was at the ship.

 _Let's go in,_ Alicia said, sounding saddened and a bit nervous.

"You okay?" Michael asked.

 _Yeah, just…remembering the good times on this ship,_ Alicia said. _And how it all changed in an instant._

Liz and Michael looked at each other in understanding. "Want to take us through the ship?"

Alicia turned to them. _I can show you around the Pokémon quarters, and maybe to the bridge. But I won't be much good with the engine areas._

"Then we'll hurry through the engine rooms and get to the living quarters," Michael said with a supportive smile. They walked into the ship, escaping the bright desert sunlight and getting some relief in the shade. Gwen immediately looked around for the stairs, seeing the way up was blocked by a few crates of food that was long since spoiled. She recalled the final night aboard the ship, remembering how she'd been without a care, other than wondering what her trainer would be like. While she'd hoped to have one like Michael, the way life had gotten her to him was less than desirable.

 _Would we even be a team if Cipher hadn't attacked the Libra?_ Alicia asked softly, using Psychic to lift and remove the food from their path.

Liz looked at Alicia as she and Michael both heard her thoughts. "Who knows…" Liz said. "I'm not sure if I believe in fate, but…I think life has a way of getting us to exactly where we need to be for our best opportunities. Even if the path is painful, it's meant to give you the tools to make the right choice."

 _That's…really deep,_ Alicia said.

"You know…it sounds a lot like the stories of the Alolan Champion, Elio Northstar, like when he took on the corrupt Aether Foundation with Hau and Gladion," Michael said. "He had to leave his home and move to Alola, and had an amazing journey that put him where he needed to be exactly when he was needed."

Alicia nodded. _I guess you're right…_ she said as they went up the short metal flight of stairs to the next level. They found a hatch that opened to the next level, and it was mostly broken off its hinges. They passed through and saw that the hall transitioned from steel and wood over light concrete to a soft carpet over hardwood flooring.

"This is a beautiful, ship," Liz said, looking around at the decorations. It was damaged badly, but it was still showing incredible craftsmanship. "I remember when Michael and I got our Eevees from this ship. Titania was so playful when we met, and Nick was a bit aloof until Michael met him."

Michael smiled. "Dad told me that, after Nick opened up to me so much, I was obligated to bring him with me, even though I was going to bring him home anyway." he said.

 _Do you guys have any videos of that? It sounds really cute,_ Alicia said shyly.

"Our parents have them. We'll show you some of them when we go back home," Liz said happily.

Alicia smiled softly as they got to a very familiar hallway. It looked a bit different from her new height, but she knew the hall that led to her room. Without a word, she went to the door, looking around at what was left inside. The furniture was all cracked and dusty after nearly two months had passed since the ship had been taken. On the floor, however, was something Alicia had completely forgotten. Something she'd brought with her on the boat. The glass in the frame was shattered, but the picture was still in-tact. She knelt to the ground, picking up the picture from the ground, blowing on it to clear the dust.

Michael looked over Alicia's shoulder, seeing a picture of the Maple family. It had a gorgeous view of Prism Tower in Lumiose City, with Selena in the front, hugging Alicia happily, while Brendan and May smiled at the camera with Gwen in the center, smiling softly and happily. Michael, however, was focusing on Alicia and Selena holding each other. _I've…never seen Alicia smile like that,_ Michael thought, careful to keep his thoughts private. _Maybe I wasn't the right trainer for her. Selena has been her closest friend their entire lives. And I'm just the guy who happened to be fighting Cipher._ Alicia smiled and held the picture close to her chest, unaware that Michael was feeling uncertain of their partnership as well.

Alicia's moment of nostalgia ended as they heard muffled thuds above them, followed by loud cursing as a smaller set of footsteps seemed to scurry away. The three of them looked up at the ceiling, then at each other. Without a word, they all ran from the room with Alicia in the lead. _The stairs are this way,_ she said with certainty. Michael and Liz both followed her quickly, which led up to the deck of the ship.

On the deck, there was a massive, ape-like man with a red sleeveless shirt, noise-cancelling headphones, and reflective sunglasses. Next to him were two Cipher Peons, one with yellow highlights on his armor, and the other with the normal white armor. "Damn it, how the hell is that Pokémon so fast," Gorigan said.

Alicia stopped in her tracks when she saw the man in front of her. _It's him…_ she said with fear in her voice.

 _Alicia?_ Michael asked, not going into detail as he thought the question was obvious.

 _He's the one in charge of changing Pokémon to Shadows…_ Alicia's eyes were filled with a mixture of terror and anger. _I…I never wanted to see him again!_

The Peons then perked up as they both noticed the new arrivals. Gorigan turned toward the trio, recognizing all three of them immediately. "Tch, seems we've got Cipher's Bane and his Bitch here to stop our fun," he said. "Just too bad I'm too busy to deal with you myself." Gorigan glared at Alicia. "As for you…hope you're enjoying your temporary freedom. You'll be a Shadow Pokémon again in no time. Smarton, Snidle, take out this trash. I need to make our report to the Grand Master."

With that, the man went to the side of the ship, climbing down the anchor's chain and going to his own car, parked beside van the Peons had driven. "Alright, you heard him, Smarton. Take care of The Cipher Bane," the standard armored Peon said, evidently Snidle.

"What? The boss said that for both of us should take them out," Smarton said with irritation in his voice.

"Yes, but think about it. If I go and get the van running, then you can beat these two, and get to the van by the time the A/C will be running. It'll save us time by 5%, comfort by 3%, and effort by 50%," Snidle said. "So, deal with this and we can all go back to the base without much trouble."

Smarton looked like he was about to protest again, but the other Peon ran off to the staircase, pushing past Michael and Liz surprisingly quickly. "Why do I get the feeling I've just been had?"

Alicia, looking a bit distressed, stepped forward. _It's time to battle,_ she said, sounding uncertain.

"You okay?" Michael asked, taking out Boreas's Pokéball.

 _Yeah, I'm fine. Let's do this,_ Alicia said with an eager tone. Michael, however, could hear that she had been thrown off by the Cipher Admin who just left.

Smarton sighed and threw two Pokéballs out. "Huntail, Cacnea. Both of you come out," he said.

"Boreas, come out. Let's stop this Peon!" Michael said. The little Spheal came out of his Pokéball, looking eager for the battle. He even glanced over to Alicia with a glint in his eyes. Alicia smiled at him as they both faced the new enemies. One was almost a blue water snake, and the other was a short cactus with arms and a floral crown.

Michael looked at his battle monitor, seeing that Alicia was at level 33, while Boreas was level 31. Their opponents were both level 30, but they didn't seem to be too lively. Huntail seemed to already be suffering from the desert sun. "Boreas, use Ice Beam on Cacnea. Alicia, use Shock Wave on Huntail. We should make this quick so we can follow Gorigan."

Alicia took that order to heart, firing a blast of electricity at the Huntail, firing in a wave and homing in on the water type. Boreas began taking a breath, gathering icy energy into his mouth before firing a blast at the small cactus Pokémon.

"Huntail, dodge with Aqua Jet," Smarton said. "Cacnea, use Bullet Seed!" The two Pokémon began to move quickly, the water type surrounding himself with water. He then tried to launch himself away from electricity, but Alicia's attack was moving too quickly, hitting the stream of water and electrocuting the Pokémon harshly and knocking him out.

Simultaneously, Cacnea began to fire a stream of glowing seed clusters at Boreas. The Spheal just began rolling sideways, dodging the seeds, getting a chance to fire the icy energy he'd been gathering, hitting his mark perfectly and freezing Cacnea in place for a moment. The ice quickly shattered and Cacnea dropped to the ground.

Michael smirked as Boreas grew to level 32 from the combined experience of battling the two opponents. With a smile and an attempt as clapping with his flippers, Spheal began to glow brightly, his body getting bigger overall, growing what looked like a glorious mustache, as his flippers grew longer. The glow faded, revealing Boreas had fully evolved into a Sealeo.

"Alright, Boreas, you're awesome! Let's show them what you can do now!" Michael said. Smarton sneered.

"Teddiursa, Koffing, come out and battle. Do what you can do!" Smarton said, sounding beaten already.

Michael sighed. "You're not in this battle, are you?" he asked.

"Shut the fuck up!" Smarton said harshly. "This was supposed to be an easy tag battle for a win. Now you're getting stronger and I'm basically being screwed out of a job."

Liz looked confused. "Cipher pays its members?"

"More like they let us live if we don't disappoint them," Smarton said. "And occasionally they give us half edible food."

Michael didn't wait. As much as he disliked finishing off an opponent who had lost their will to fight, he couldn't feel pity for Cipher.

Alicia agreed, using Psychic to throw Koffing into the floorboards, while Boreas used a powerful Water Pulse on the Teddiursa. The water's high pressure knocking the little bear out of the battle.

Smarton growled, recalling his Pokémon and putting them on his belt. "Fuck it. I'm done. Hope you enjoy your meaningless victory. All I did was stall you." Smarton quickly ran from the deck, going down the stairs and into the ship's maze to find the exit.

Michael then ran over to Boreas, hugging the Sealeo tightly. "Congratulations, buddy. You were incredible out there," he said. Liz came up behind Michael and knelt to pet the Pokémon gently.

"No kidding. It was like you were waiting for that moment to impress us."

Sealeo gave a slight bark to thank them. They then heard some bootsteps coming toward them from the bridge and captain's quarters.

"Seems you drove those goons off," a man who looked like he was an engineer said. "Good thing too. I was worried they'd find me."

Michael stood up, recalling Boreas. "Wait…who are you? Why are you on this ship?"

The man shrugged. "Found the place while it was mostly empty, and the back-up generator on the ship is working still. Some of the food was still good, and the air conditioning works too. I just decided to stay here for a while to get some time away from it all."

"So, you're a squatter?" Liz asked in confusion.

"No, I'm just converting the place into my personal vacation home," the man said. "You're all more than welcome to come in." He looked out toward the mountains in the distance. "They always come and go from that direction, never varying. They might have a base of operations over there."

Michael looked at Liz and back to where the man was watching. "Maybe...or maybe they go that way until they're out of sight.

The man shook his head. "I've been here for about a month now. They've not seen me once in all that time," he said. "They wouldn't know that somebody was watching them from here." The man looked at Michael. "They called you Cipher's Bane, correct? I'm guessing you're causing them problems. If so, then I think you're the best one to tell. Especially with the way they've treated the Pokémon on this ship…makes me sick to think what that group is doing."

Liz nodded. "They make us sick too. All they want is power," she said.

The man nodded. "If you three want to rest a bit, feel free to come in. I've got some couches inside, and some refreshments," he said, walking toward the entrance. "Honestly, I think you'd do well with a lemonade and some air conditioning."

The three were hesitant to say the least. _I get the feeling we can trust him,_ Alicia said. _He seems largely disinterested in what we're all doing, but he's not dangerous._

Michael nodded, following the man into the captain's quarters. Liz was bit more hesitant, waiting to enter for a few seconds. There was something in the man's tone that told her he was keeping a secret from them that even Alicia might've missed.

When they got in, the man started climbing up to the bridge, but stopped when they all heard something moving around down the other set of stairs. "Oh, there's been some noise coming from down there for a while now, and food occasionally disappears randomly. Would you two please check it for me?"

Before Michael or Liz could even respond, the man was up the stairs. _Might as well. It could be the Pokémon Cipher was chasing._

Michael sighed. "So much for making up for lost time," he said, walking to the stairs, heading to the lower levels. Liz followed closely. When they got to the basement, Michael could hear the pattering of small feet again.

They continued deeper, following the sound until it came to a stop in front of them somewhere. Michael looked further down the hall and saw what seemed to be a tiny bonsai tree. "What the…"

"Hey, Michael, remember the Pokémon that Nett said a family was looking for on the S.S. Libra?" Liz whispered.

"Bonsly…?" Michael whispered back.

"Yeah. That tree looks a lot like a Bonsly, doesn't it?" Liz said with a smile.

Michael nodded, agreeing completely with her assessment. "So, you're planning to go pick it up and take it to Pyrite Town before going after Cipher?" he asked.

"Exactly. But to do that, we need to tag team it so it can't run if it gets startled," Liz said.

Alicia just sighed. _Want me to make it simple?_ She didn't wait for a response, using telepathy to levitate the little Pokémon to them gently.

It was just about to get to them when Michael's P-DA beeped loudly as a message came in. The noise startled the Bonsly awake, and it immediately began crying out and flailing. Alicia grimaced as she started to lose her grip on the Pokémon. _One of you catch him!_ she said. Liz was already moving, holding the baby Pokémon tightly yet gently.

"You're safe, it's okay little one," Liz said softly, the crying Pokémon settling down at the sound of her voice, looking up at her with questioning eyes that eventually turned grateful. Michael watched Liz soothe the Pokémon gently, almost like she was soothing a child. In almost no time, Bonsly was sound asleep again, using Liz's breast like a pillow.

 _Lucky Pokémon…_ Michael thought privately before pulling out his P-DA to see the message that had almost allowed the Bonsly to run away. "Huh…seems Acri wants to interview us. She wants to write a book about our battle against Cipher," he said with interest. "It sounds like it could be interesting. What do you think?"

Liz looked a bit intrigued. "Acri, as in the one we met in Gateon Port? I forgot she was a writer," she said. "Hmmm…I would be okay with it, but tell her we'll do it once the battle is over."

"Couldn't agree more," Michael said, his tone a bit more jovial. "We'll either be telling her how we won, or telling how we were fools for trying to resist our new overlords."

Liz playfully swatted Michael's arm as she led the way back up the stairs. "Let's get this little guy to his people."

As they got up the stairs, the man they'd spoken to earlier was waiting. "Oh, a Bonsly was down there?" he asked. "I'm glad it didn't get hurt."

 _I had to be really careful with him. Flailing around like he was being attacked,_ Alicia said.

"Well, if you're heading out, I'd recommend moving to your scooter quickly. Never know when a sandstorm might whip up," the man said, his voice telling Liz that he knew something more than he was letting on.

"Is everything alright?" Liz asked him. "The way you're acting, it looks like you saw something, and you're scared of it."

The man looked at Liz coldly. "Trust me. It's better you don't know. Get to your scooter, and get out of here," he said, his tone now leaving no room for debate.

Michael took Liz's arm, with Alicia right beside them. "Come on. We should be going now anyway."

Liz wanted to protest a bit, but decided against it as they left the cabin. "Michael, why are we leaving in such a rush?"

"You heard it in his voice, right?" Michael said. "He knows something is coming, and he's trying to get us out of here. I wouldn't be surprised if there are black market deals going on here."

"I know," Liz said as they made it to the engine room door rather quickly. "It sounded more like he was trying to keep us from something. Something that could hurt us."

They made it to the hole in hull, stepping onto the sand and into the sunlight. They didn't get more than fifty yards from the ship before a group of men dressed in matching red vests, black pants, and matching silver headsets surrounded them. Michael didn't need to think about history books to know who this group was. "Team Snagem."

One of them stepped forward, this one wearing sunglasses like Morpheus in The Matrix. "Well, you recognized us rather quickly. Interesting that we're still so infamous in Orre, yet we've been at our low point for a while now," he said, holding a Pokéball.

"What the hell do you guys want? Wes destroyed your hideout and all of your Snag Machines. You should've been disbanded," Liz said.

"Stupid girl," their leader said. "We're here for one…or rather two reasons. And they're on your arms right now."

"You want the Snag Machines…" Michael said.

"Bingo," the Snagem leader said, opening a Pokéball and letting out a Gloom. "Nothing personal, kids. We just want revenge on Cipher for humiliating us, and your Snag Machines are just what we need to do it." Before either Michael, Liz, or Alicia could respond, the Gloom exhaled a cloud of green spores. "Sweet Dreams."

Alicia fought to stay awake, as did Michael and Liz, but the Sleep Powder proved to be too powerful. They fell to the sand, falling asleep. The last thing they felt was their Snag Machines coming off their arms.

* * *

As he drove across the desert and into the mountains, Gorigan calmly made a call.

"Hello, Gorigan," Ardos's voice said on the other end. "Anything to report?"

"Orison found the Libra. We might not be able to hide the Key Lair for much longer," Gorigan said. "Additionally, we were unable to capture the Bonsly. Smarton and Snidle proved to be incompetent, and I just scared the thing."

"I see. Then station guards in front of the Lair. Don't give them Pokémon. Mr. Orison and Ms. Hanz are too kind to ever attack other people with their Pokémon. If that and you should fail to stop him, be ready to have the Lair self-destruct. Don't consider casualties on either side. We want him dead."

"Understood, sir," Gorigan said.

"Oh, and remember to be on the lookout for Dr. Hordel. He's been on the run for a month now, and neither he nor the asset have surfaced in that time," Ardos said.

"We already have patrols looking," Gorigan said. "I'll let you know if anything new comes up."

"Good. Make sure you don't fall like your peers," Ardos said before hanging up.

Gorigan sighed. "This shit is getting to me," he muttered. "The Peons will need more than one Shadow from now on." He smirked to himself as he pulled up to the grey glass pyramid of Cipher's Key Lair. "Might be able to get a promotion if I handle Orison."

* * *

 **Hey all, sorry for the wait. Job issues again, and I've been working on a certain project that you all might be seeing pretty soon.**

 **Anyway, I had a lot to fit into this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know what you thought in the reviews. Your feedback really helps me improve, and I really appreciate it.**

 **Until next time - jmoul18**


	23. Chapter 23 - Intel and Hope

**Michael:**

 **Jolteon (Nick)**

 **Gardevoir (Alicia)**

 **Houndoom (Erebus)**

 **Spheal (Boreas)**

 **Breloom (Ceres)**

 **Trapinch (Sarah)**

 **Liz:**

 **Sylveon (Titania)**

 **Teddiursa (Artemis)**

 **Flaaffy (Voltaire)**

 **Vulpix (Vixen)**

 **Roselia (Lilith)**

 **Duskull (Wraith)**

 _Intel and Hope_

"Easy, don't get up too fast," Michael heard a familiar voice say nearby as he started to wake up. "Please, have some water."

Michael opened his eyes, seeing that he was in a bed aboard the Libra. He turned a little and saw Liz sitting in another bed next to him, the man they'd met on the ship beside her, giving her a cup. She was slightly holding her head as she thanked him, taking a long drink. Michael slowly groaned and started to get up as well.

The man turned at the noise. "Oh, good. You're awake too," he said, grabbing another cup and handing it to Michael. "Here, drink. You were out for almost two hours."

Michael took a drink of the refreshing water, then looked around. "Alicia?"

 _I'm up. Just making sure Bonsly is okay,_ she said, levitating down the stairs, holding the little Pokémon. _I actually woke up an hour before you two._

"Oh…I see," Michael said, reaching over to his left shoulder, feeling his arm without the Snag Machine, and seeing Liz without hers. "We failed...we lost the snag machines…"

Liz looked just as sullen as Michael did. "How did they jump us so easily…why did they even do it?"

"Snagem has been licking their wounds for ten years now," the man said, standing and walking over to a cabinet in the wall. "They were once business partners to Cipher…in a sense. I'm sure you know the basics. Snagem took the Pokémon, and Cipher would turn them into Shadows. Then Wes stopped Cipher's plans, and Cipher decided to not trust Snagem again."

Liz looked at the man curiously. "You say that like you have personal knowledge of both groups." The man came back, holding a map and a picture.

"I'm not proud, but I was once an engineer for Cipher," he said. "I did it when my wife was in the hospital, and I needed to pay the bills. They were the only job that would take me." Michael listened with interest. While he could understand this man's reasoning, he didn't like that Cipher had been his choice. The man clearly had regrets about his past, so he held his tongue.

"I know about your battle with Cipher, and I'd like to help," he spread the map out, and put the photo on the table. Alicia saw the picture, immediately knowing what she was looking at as fear began to build in her heart. "This is the Key Lair of Cipher. I was there when they finished building it. It's where they turn Pokémon into Shadows."

 _…By torturing us into submission,_ Alicia said softly, not realizing that she'd begun to speak. The others looked at her, with Michael listening the closest. It was something which he'd guessed, but didn't know the full extent. _I'd…rather not go into the details…_

The man looked more regretful. "You were one of the corrupted…" he said. "I'm so sorry for the part I played." The man's voice sounded like he couldn't even begin to voice his regret properly.

Alicia just looked away, holding Bonsly softly. _Thanks…I guess,_ she said, sounding a bit shaken, and Michael thought she sounded more tired than usual.

"So, where is the lair?" Liz said, wanting to keep going and push through.

"In the mountains just south of Mt. Battle," the man said, marking a single spot on the map in red ink. "You'll smell the sludge underneath it before you see the building. Just cover your mouths and breathe lightly."

"Thank you," Liz said. "Michael, Alicia, can we head out? I want to take Bonsly to ONBS to meet his family." She knew they'd gotten information to move forward, and staying here any longer might lead to confrontations that would end this conversation very badly. She also didn't really trust the man they were with anymore. He'd seemed almost too eager to give the information for it to be genuine. At the same time, she hated that she'd become so mistrusting of new people that she would even be suspicious of this man after he helped them.

"Right. Thank you for your help," Michael said. "We may need to hold off on going there just yet. There are bound to be Shadow Pokémon there, and we'll need the Snag Machines."

Alicia seemed to agree as well. _Thank you for helping us. We'll be sure to put the information you gave us to good use._ She curtsied a bit to him as they left.

Once they had closed the door and were well out of earshot, the man smirked and pulled out an earpiece. "Sir, the information has been delivered. Get ready to show those cretins hell when they get to base."

Gorigan's voice came through from the other line. "Nice work, Heath. Hope you didn't vomit from that act you had to put up."

"Almost. They're going to deliver that Pokémon you wanted to ONBS, then hunt down Snagem first, though. It may take them some time to get to you."

"I've got nothing but time. We're out of Pokémon to turn now anyway," Gorigan said, sounding proud of his accomplishment. "Think we could turn some of those wild Pokémon that resurfaced in Orre?"

"Maybe," Heath said. "But I'm pretty sure Duking has multiple game wardens hired to protect the areas. We'd probably get arrested before we were even able to catch one.

"Ah well, just a thought," Gorigan said. "Finish anything you need to do over there, then head to the Isle. The Grand Master wants you there."

"I copy," Heath said. "To the glory of Cipher." He ended the call and looked out the windows of the ship. "Though Cipher tends to have plans way more convoluted than they need to be."

* * *

After a rather quick drive, Michael parked his scooter outside of ONBS. "Alright, let's hope we can get some help with our situation…" he said as they entered. Megg immediately perked up when she saw them.

"Michael, Liz! It's so good to see you both again," she said happily, coming out from the desk, hugging them both tightly. Michael blushed a bit, always having found Megg attractive, though not as attractive as Liz. "And Alicia, I've been wanting to meet you for real for so long!" Megg said, hugging the Gardevoir.

 _Thank you, it's good to meet you too…ummm…_ Alicia said.

"Oh, right. I'm Megg. I went to school with Michael and Liz, and I'm Nett's sister," she said. "Now, what brings you guys…wait." Megg looked at their arms. "WHERE ARE THE SNAG MACHINES!"

Michael looked a bit sheepish. "Want to come up to Nett's office with us?"

"Is it that bad?" Megg asked, looking worried.

 _It's not good,_ Alicia said. _We might need help from Nett…_

Megg nodded, grabbing a sign that said 'In a Meeting. Please Sit,' and placing it on her desk. "Come on, I'll walk up with you."

The walk was quiet, and Megg could tell they were more than a bit upset about their situation.

When they got through the maze of elevators and to Nett's office, Liz took hold of the adorable Bonsly and Megg opened the door for them.

Nett seemed to be watching something on his computer, looking intently while wearing headphones. When Michael saw the screen, he knew immediately what was going on. Nett seemed to be watching a livestream from a few months ago where Brendan and Elio battled in Alola. He remembered that the one he and Liz had been watching cut off when Gwen reverted to her normal form. They had assumed back then that it was a draw, making their own bet on the battle a draw as well. Nett perked up as he saw the newcomers, pausing the video, then taking his headphones off. "Oh, welcome. How are you three…" he stopped. "Wait…what happened to the snag machines?"

Michael sat on one of the couches in the room. "It was Team Snagem…" he said.

Liz nodded. "We were just at the Libra, and we'd just found this little one," she said, getting Nett to see the Bonsly in her arms.

"Wow, you found him!" Nett said. "I'll call the family waiting for him as soon as we're done here." He paused briefly. "So, what happened? You said Team Snagem…but I thought they were defunct."

"We were just leaving the Libra when they pretty much crawled out of the sand, hit us with Sleep Powder, then took our Snag Machines…we don't even know where to look to pursue them."

Nett looked at Megg. "I think I might know somebody who does. Megg, could you do me a favor and check through my contact list? I can't remember his number off the top of my head."

"Sure…want to finish watching that video on the big screen?" Megg asked.

Nett looked at Michael and Liz. "Did you guys want to watch Brendan battling Elio for a bit?"

 _Wait…my mother battled Alola's champion? When did this happen?_ Alicia asked.

Nett got a bit sheepish, having forgotten that Alicia was Gwen's daughter. "It…was the day after the _Libra_ was abducted. I was just to the point where Gwen was starting to fight Strongside. Would…you like to watch?" Nett's tone said there was more to the video than just the battle.

"Actually, Liz and I had a bet on who would win that battle…" Michael said, sounding interested. "Didn't it end with a draw?"

"It did…but not in the way you'd expect," Nett said. Megg took the chance to enter the command on the computer, turning on the smart TV, letting everybody see the video. It was zoomed in and the quality was high enough to make every detail starkly visible, down to the exact way the light was gleaming from Gwen's eyes as the Mega-Evolution glow faded away. It was as competitive as ever, with the opposing Incineroar grinning with confidence right back.

Alicia sat with Liz and Michael, wanting to know what had happened. She watched eagerly as Gwen dodged an incoming Darkest Lariat with seeming ease, using Hyper Voice, then continuing to strategically battle. Incineroar even used his incredible Z-Move, but that didn't stop her mother. Alicia honestly felt really proud when she saw a Dazzling Gleam blind the Incineroar as Gwen charged a Thunder Bolt. That was when the battle was interrupted by Brendan receiving a phone call.

"We were just around this point when our stream ended," Michael said, looking interested to see what happened. "Still…I'd like to know what that call was about."

 _That ringtone…was from the Hoenn League's emergency line,_ Alicia said in a realizing tone. _This is from the day after the Libra went missing?_ Nett nodded, knowing that what happened next would bring Alicia pain. When Gwen reverted to her normal form, Michael noticed her look of distress as well.

"No…it couldn't be…" Liz said under her breath, understanding what had happened to end the battle. That was when the cameraman seemed to get knocked back, losing his footing and focus for a moment. When he got the view back, Gwen was sobbing into Brendan's shoulder.

Michael looked back at Alicia, seeing the Gardevoir crying at the sight of her mother in so much anguish. "Alicia…you know she's okay now," he said, moving over to her side and giving her a comforting hug. Alicia kept watching, seeing May and Selena approach Brendan. After a few moments, Gwen let go of Brendan, fell to her knees, and shrieked at the ocean. The Hyper Voice she used there was enough to split the waves and make the cameraman lose his footing once again. That was where the footage ended.

 _…C-can I please use your phone?_ Alicia asked.

"Want to call your mother?" Michael asked kindly, knowing that Alicia wanted to talk about what she just saw.

 _Yes…if it's alright,_ she said.

Nett nodded. "We have a room in the back for private calls. There's a video phone there."

Alicia stood up, motioning for Michael to wait there. _I need to talk with her one-on-one._

* * *

In Littleroot, Gwen was sitting on the back porch of the Maple's home, rocking gently as she enjoyed the breeze. Brendan and May were out shopping to get new clothes for the new baby, and Selena was with both sets of grandparents today. She had decided to stay at the house, though she couldn't place the reason beyond a feeling that she needed to be there for now. There was a quiet in the air that had become rare for the Maple family as of late, helping Gwen get some much-needed rest. That was when the phone rang inside.

 _Wonder who that…_ she saw that it was an Orre number. _Alicia?_ She answered the phone eagerly. _Hello?_

 _Hey, Mom…_ Alicia said, her voice shaking a bit as her image appeared on the screen. Gwen could immediately tell something was off.

 _What's wrong, sweetheart?_ Gwen asked.

 _I…just saw the video from your battle with Elio…_ Alicia said.

Gwen already knew where Alicia was going. _Before you say it, you know you have nothing to apologize for, right?_

Alicia nodded. _Still…seeing what it did to you…I feel terrible,_ she said.

Gwen reached out to the screen, at least symbolically trying to comfort her daughter. _I'm sorry for not being stronger,_ she said. _I fell into despair because I didn't know what else to do._

Alicia nodded. _Mom, I also called because I need some help,_ she said. Gwen nodded, listening for what her daughter would say. _I…I'm starting to think that I made a serious mistake coming to Orre. I think I would've been better off staying in Hoenn and traveling with Selena when she was old enough. Michael is great, but I don't feel that same connection…_

Gwen nodded. _I'm sorry, I don't know what to say_. _When I met Brendan, we pretty much clicked as a team right away,_ she replied. _But I will say this. Having doubts is natural, but when things get bad, try to remember all the good things you and Michael have done for each other. To be honest, when you went missing, I was searching Orre for you and for trainers who would connect well with you. Of all the people I looked for, I could tell that both Michael and Liz could be perfect matches for you. So please, don't let doubt stop you._

Alicia smiled softly, nodding. _Fuck that, I'll keep cutting your confidence. You'll never bond with Michael while I'm here._ Alicia stopped, her eyes widening a bit as she heard her Shadow-self speaking to her.

Gwen noticed the change in Alicia's expression immediately. _Alicia, what's going on. There's something you're not telling me._

 _I-it's nothing,_ Alicia said, pretending to hear somebody outside the room. _I need to go, Michael and Liz are getting ready for the next trip._

Gwen gave her daughter a look of pleading. _Don't try to hide it. Something's bothering you. If you don't want to discuss it with me, that's fine, but you look physically drained. You need to tell somebody before it's too late. Understand?_

Alicia looked at her mother with a look of both pain and uncertainty. _It's…not easy to explain. But it's under control,_ she lied. Gwen raised an eyebrow, telling Alicia that it was an obvious lie, but she wouldn't force the conversation.

 _When you don't look like you're about to collapse from exhaustion, then I'll believe you,_ Gwen said.

Alicia paused. _I love you, Mom. I'll call whenever something new comes up,_ she said.

Gwen sighed. _I love you too. Remember that people want to help you. Please let them._ Alicia nodded in response, then ended the call. Gwen put the phone down. _Alicia…you're not free yet, are you?_ Gwen thought to herself, going back to her seat with a new worry in her mind. _Please tell somebody before it's too late._

* * *

In the main section of Nett's office, another call was being made, with Nett looking anxious. "Hey, bro, calm down. He's not going to bite your head off," Megg said teasingly.

"Yeah, but you forget how his demeanor can throw people off," Nett said.

Michael and Liz both had slightly irritated looks on their faces. "Hey, can we not play the pronoun game?" Michael asked.

"Agreed. At least tell us who _he_ is," Liz said. As she finished her question, though, a face known throughout Orre appeared on screen. "W-Wes?!" Her voice sounded more like a whisper than talking.

The grey-haired 25-year old looked as cold and calculating as ever, but he looked more mature than his pictures. "Nett, what's going on? Why did you call me?"

Nett sighed. "Wes, don't pretend you don't know what's going on in Orre. I know you're in Unova right now, but we need your help," Nett said.

Wes sighed, looking around the room. "Huh…I recognize you two on the couch. Michael and Liz, right?" he said. "Seems you've been getting a good reputation around the world."

Michael stood up first. "Well, we're flattered to hear that. But we've hit a roadblock." Wes raised an eyebrow wordlessly, waiting for Michael to explain. "Team Snagem stole our Snag Machines. We need to get them back."

Wes's expression looked even more disappointed than before. "You let those buffoons steal Orre's only hope? Seriously?"

Michael seemed to shrink back a bit, something Liz hadn't been expecting to see. "Hard to say we let them do it when they put us to sleep. We couldn't do a thing to stop them."

"So…Biden got you. That's pretty embarrassing for you. Unfortunately, I can't send you my snag machine, nor can I get there to stop Cipher now," Wes said. "However, I can't just let Gonzap get more Snag Machines, so I'll help you out this once."

Michael looked at Wes with interest. "Go on."

"There are two places where you might find Team Snagem. One is the Outskirt Station. Not a bad diner there, to be honest. But, it's also a place where some shady characters tend to hang out," he said, looking away from the screen for a second. "The second place is the most likely. It's the Snagem Hideout, located near the farthest reaches of the Orre Region. I can send you guys the locations if you'd like."

"Yeah, that would be really helpful," Michael said. "We'll owe you personally after this is all over."

Wes seemed to smile genuinely. "Don't worry about it. I'd rather not lose my home to Cipher, after all."

With that, he ended the call, and Nett sent the needed contact information to Wes, and almost immediately after, Michael and Liz both had their P-DAs ringing, marking the locations on their maps. "So, Liz, which place do you want to search first?" Michael asked.

"Let's go to the Outskirt Stand," she said. "We need to get a plan set, and any additional information about Snagem as they are now."

"You sure? I don't think we should give Snagem too much time to study the Snag Machine. We can go to the stand any time."

"Yeah, but I just have a feeling it's the right way to go. We might even get information on Cipher's Key Lair while we're there."

Michael saw a glint in her eyes as well, realizing that she was also hungry, and going to a diner must have sounded appealing to her. He sighed. "Alright. You've made a good point. Let's go to the Outskirt Stand and get some intel."

 _And a burger,_ Alicia teased.

 _Maybe…shut up,_ Liz said back.

"Alright, I'll walk you out," Megg said with a smile and a sweet tone.

* * *

It took them almost two hours to complete the trip to the desert stand made from the husk of an old locomotive. By that time Liz was making an overly dramatic groaning to emphasize how hungry she was. Michael just sighed, hoping the diner would give him some extra fries so she could steal them. What they saw outside the diner, however, told them that they would need to wait a little longer. There was even a beeping from Michael's bags, specifically from a radar he'd forgotten he'd picked up in the Cave PokéSpot.

On the ramp were Trudly and Folly, looking satisfied. "Damn. That was the most filling meal I've had this month," Trudly said. "Not sure how the boss intends to pay for it though."

"Hey, don't question it. The boss knows what he's doing," Folly said.

"…We're still talking about the guy who has a boombox he has in his afro, right?"

As if on cue, music began to fade in from the bar, sounding like funky dance music. As it faded in, Michael and Liz both saw the only man with a Pokéball afro: Miror B.

"Well, my posse, are you all feelin' down to steal some fine Pokémon today?" he asked, his voice having a slightly musical swing to it. With barely a glance, he smirked. "Looks like our target just came right to us!"

Michael rolled his eyes, Liz facepalmed, and Alicia just looked like she was watching an episode of _Unovan Shore_ , and was wondering how the people she was seeing could look so ridiculously stupid. _Who are these guys, and why do they have horrible taste in music_? Alicia asked loudly.

Miror B's head whipped around to look at Alicia, staring daggers at her. "Them's fightin' words little missy. And a Pokémon of champion lineage shouldn't go around dissing other people's taste in music, ya' dig?"

 _No….no I don't 'dig' whatever it is you just said. Speak normally, and I might understand you,_ Alicia sassed back.

Miror woas fuming at this point. "If I recall you correctly, boy, you are the insignificant welp who took my Shadow Voltorb. But, looks like you don't have that fancy Snag Machine anymore. Guess it's time to put the moves on you!" He poked his afro and grabbed two Pokéballs off his belt in one smooth motion. He did a graceful backflip, jumped into the air, doing the splits at the peak, and snapped to the beat as he sent out two Lombre.

Michael looked at Liz. "Want to take him on this time? I can guess what you want from the diner."

"Don't guess. I have something different I want," she said, sending out Lilith and Vixen together. "This won't take long."

"Don't you dare start ignoring me," Miror B said. "I'll take those beauties from you and make them shadows the old-fashioned way. Through torture and beatings."

The two former Shadow Pokémon glared at the dancing criminal, remembering all too well how painful their transitions had been. Alicia was just as tempted to throw the man into the side of the rusty locomotive, or into the old gas pumps used for decoration.

"Lilith, use Toxic and pick your target. Vixen, use Flame Burst!" Liz said.

"Lombr-A, use Rain Dance. Lombr-O, use Nature Power. Let's hurt these fools," Miror B said eagerly. The lily pad Pokémon both moved easily and gracefully. The first danced in an almost ritualistic way as dark clouds formed only over the battlefield, causing rain to softly fall on the combatants. The second Lombre, benefitting from the speed boost, leapt into the air, slamming the ground, and causing an Earthquake to shake the battlefield. Liz was not overly concerned, as Vixen leapt up in time to dodge, firing a ball of flames between the two. It exploded on contact, showering the

Lillith gathered an orb of toxins, throwing it at the nearest Lombre, then followed up by gathering an Energy Ball, and launching it at the other Lombre, knocking it back hard. Vixen then landed and gathered a ball of light energy, launching it into the air. The sky was cleared, and the sunlight intensified.

"Great," Liz said. "Lilith, use Poison Sting on both of them. I can't stand any more horrible disco music. Vixen, use another Flame Burst, take them both out."

Miror B looked livid as he snapped his fingers. "Lombr-A, and Lombr-O, Astonish. Make them weak with your stunning moves!" Both Lombre moved fast, an ectoplasmic energy slightly coating both Pokémon as they charged forward. They didn't make it far before Vixen's Flame Burst hit directly between the two, showering them with hot flames. Lilith then fired two barbs coated in toxins. The attacks struck both hit home. Liz watched her battle monitor as the Lombre both reached zero on their health bars, and they passed out. The girl smirked as Miror B recalled the Pokémon, pulling out one more Pokéball. "Nosepass. Get out here, show these fools what you can do," Miror B said with indignity.

That was when Liz's and Michael's Shadow Monitors both went off, and both of their expressions changed to worry. _Wait…what are we going to do? We can't snag this one,_ Michael asked with worry.

 _I don't know. We can't carry it with us, it'll fight us until we can snag it,_ Liz said, her tone equally worried.

 _Just battle like normal,_ Alicia said. _I don't want to leave him to suffer, but we can't save him right now._

Liz gritted her teeth. "Damn it. Sorry Nosepass," she said. "Vixen, use Will-O-Wisp! Lillith, use Grass Knot!"

Miror B just shrugged to the beat. "Use Shadow Wave," he said with a harmonic voice, his arms moving in a wave. Nosepass launched a duo of Shadow energy, the chilling energy homing-in on Lillith and Vixen.

Liz's Pokémon both tried to move out of the way, but they weren't quick enough. Vixen's tails were clipped with the shot, while Lillith was hit nearly head-on. The two lost about half of their health from the attacks, but they both looked determined to keep battling. Lillith focused her energy into the ground, two leaves of grassy green energy sprouted behind Nosepass, tying around its legs and yanking back hard. The rock-type fell hard, only for Vixen's eerie blue flame to hit him and burn his body.

The burn caused the Nosepass to nearly black out. Miror B saw its health drop to zero, then pulled out a Pokéball different from the one from which he had released the rock-type. The Nosepass's body became surrounded with Shadow Aura, seemingly re-energizing it, then sending a beam of aura back to the Pokéball, shattering it to dust. The Nosepass got to his feet, and began to shuffle into the desert.

Before he even got three feet away, Miror B threw the other ball at the Pokémon, almost immediately catching it again. "You won't escape that easily," he said almost darkly, touching his afro in the same spot. "Damn you girl. You haven't seen the last of us! Trudly and Folly. Run Away!"

The criminal trio scampered toward the desert, cresting a sand dune before an engine roared and they drove off in a hover truck. Liz looked at Michael in shock. "So…shadows break free when they're beaten…we could snag them without the snag machines."

"Maybe, but our Snag Machines have all our Pokéballs. But we can't let Snagem keep them. We should go eat lunch, then go to their hideout to face them."

 _Finally,_ Alicia said, leading them to the diner. _I'm about to kill for a burger._

They went in, hearing an interesting tune from the jukebox nearby, with most of the patrons at the bar, drinking what Michael assumed was whiskey or South Unovan Bourbon. Some were eating what looked like the greatest wings in the world, while others had Chimichurri steaks. Some women in the bar were drinking nice

"Welcome, how may we…" the bartender, with a glorious handlebar moustache, and who had a deep, silky smooth voice said as he looked up from the beer glass he was cleaning before suddenly stopping. "Michael Orison, Liz Hanz, and Alicia Maple? In my bar?" The jukebox stopped with an almost cartoonish record scratching. The rest of the patrons all looked up with intrigue. "Please, sit anywhere you'd like," he said.

"Thank you, sir," Michael said as he looked around, seeing an open booth near the back. They found the menus at the booth, seeing that the stand had a surprising selection. Before a server came to their table, another patron approached. He was dressed in a lab coat, and he looked nervous.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to intrude, but are you truly Mr. Orison and Miss Hanz?" he asked.

"Yes, we are," Michael said. "And who would you be?"

"My name is Hordel," he said quietly. "I'm…a former Cipher researcher."

Michael's expression turned a bit more enraged. "Why are you here?"

"I'm a deserter. Please, trust me. I'm trying make amends for my past," he said, pulling out a Pokéball. "I only managed to get one Shadow Pokémon out. A Togepi."

Liz leaned forward a bit. "And you want our help purifying it?"

"Please," Hordel said almost desperately. "I've tried everything, but she just won't respond to my efforts. You two are the only ones to whom I could possibly entrust her."

Michael looked at Liz, who barely hesitated. "I'll take care of purifying her," she said.

Hordel smiled gratefully. "Oh, thank you. Please take care of her. Once she's purified, please return her to me. I'll give you another Pokémon as thanks."

Liz smiled kindly as Hordel gave her the Pokéball. Liz activated her monitor, looking at the information regarding the Togepi inside. "She's level 25, and she isn't a Togetic…the poor thing," she whispered.

"Well, I will leave you three to your meals. I'll be here every day from noon until six at night for when you complete her purification."

With that, he left the table and went to the bar. Michael looked at Liz with a smile. "You look excited to be taking care of a Togepi," he said.

"I think it was meant to happen," she said. "We came here before getting our Snag Machines back…and we still got a Shadow Pokémon to save."

"Don't you have six Pokémon with you, though. Don't you need to send one to the lab?"

 _If you don't mind, I think Wraith might do better helping at the HQ Lab. She seems to enjoy helping you, but she really would rather not battle…_ Alicia said.

Liz smiled softly, pulling out her P-DA. "Yeah, Justy told me something similar while I was training with him. He said Wraith was more of a helper than a fighter. But, having a supporting-type in the battles we're typically facing isn't necessarily a bad thing. She's good with incapacitation too and getting Pokémon ready to snag."

Michael looked at Liz thoughtfully. "You can wait to make the decision after lunch," he said. "You know that Jovi would love to take in any Pokémon."

Liz smiled back, taking Michael's hand. "Great idea," she said, happy to get off the subject as their waitress came over.

The meal was excellent, and the bartender even gave them a discount of almost a quarter off. Michael decided to tip that amount back and then some extra. He didn't mind being recognized, but getting special discounts were a bit much for him.

As they were leaving, a man with almost pink hair stood up and followed them out to the front. "Hey, Michael," the man said with a drawl.

Michael turned to the man, somewhat recognizing him. "You're Willie. You were there when Wes stopped his impersonator ten years ago, right?"

Willie smirked. "Yeah, you got that right. Now, I seen how you battled in Phenac. I'd like to see how I measure up against Orre's new hero. If you got the time, I challenge you to a battle," Willie said.

Michael shrugged. "We might as well warm up before facing Snagem," he said to Liz.

 _Then let's get this going,_ Alicia said with a smirk. She looked ready to battle, and Michael shared her confidence.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. I was intending to have Michael and Liz go to Snagem's hideout this chapter. However, I didn't realize how long the chapter would be if I included everything leading to the battle with Gonzap.**

 **As a note regarding the scene of Brendan battling Elio in this chapter: that is going to be part of an upcoming collaboration crossover short story that I have been working on with BraviaryScout. It's coming along well, and I can say with certainty that it will be fantastic.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed, because the Snagem hideout is next, for sure this time.**

 **Please leave a review to let me know where I can improve, and what you enjoyed. Also, I enjoy reading your feedback.**

 **Thanks again for your patience. Until next time - jmoul18**


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